


Head Over Feet

by coffeewithsunshine



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Happy Ending, Humor, M/M, Multi, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-08-12 14:22:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7937974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeewithsunshine/pseuds/coffeewithsunshine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No Strings Attached AU. </p>
<p>Oliver and Felicity first meet at Summer Camp when they're teenagers.  Throughout the following years, they continue cross paths at different times, never quite staying in touch, but always drawn to each other. One night in a drunken stupor, Oliver calls all the girls in his contacts and wakes up in an unknown apartment, only to find out it belongs to Felicity. They begin an no strings attached relationship, both deciding it works best for their current situations. What happens when one of them finds themselves wanting more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> It feels so great to finally share this fic with everyone. The idea for this AU came to me at the end of last year, and I figured I'd get to it at some point, but no exact date came to mind. When OFBB rolled around I thought, "Why not?" So, I went ahead and did it. I love this movie a lot, and it includes a few lines that I actually use in life. The title comes from Alanis Morissette’s song by the same name, which is about a friends with benefit relationship. 
> 
> I want to give a big thanks to my best friend, Lo, for always being willing to be my beta, my cheerleader mkskolicity, for the enthusiasm, and quiveringbunny for the lovely artwork. 
> 
> The characters might seem a little OOC, but I tried to stay as true to the characters in both the movie and the show. Hope you enjoy!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144251702@N06/29337895071/in/dateposted-public/)

 

_Fifteen Years Ago_

Felicity didn’t understand what she was doing there. She had wanted to go to space camp, not _camp, camp_ . But, her mother had shipped her off here, so she “could the same experiences as the other kids.” As if she wanted that. _She_ wanted to learn. But, after having locked herself in her room, she had decided to go ahead and just go to the camp her mom wanted. Which is where she now found herself. At Camp Weehawken. Sitting awkwardly next to Oliver Queen, while the rest of their peers were inside at the end of summer dance, making out. With more tongue than Felicity was comfortable seeing for her lifetime. She didn’t quite know why Oliver was sitting next to her. Given the reputation he had acquired over summer, she would have figured he’d be a part of the group making out with each other.

“So,” Oliver broke the silence that had grown between them, “I’m really good at archery. It’s really popular right now.”

“I don’t know why. It looks utterly ridiculous to me.” She knew it came out harsher than she had intended.

Oliver’s smile fell and silence ensued between them again.

Immediately regretting her words, she attempted to backtrack. “But, if it’s something you enjoy, you should continue doing it.”

“You’re funny. It’s weird.”

Felicity shook her head, attempting to clear it a bit. “Yeah, I’m weird. I get that a lot.” Which, she did. More often than she wanted to admit. But, it was because she was so smart. She was younger than her peers in school.

“Me, too.”

That caught her off guard. “Yeah, right. Everyone loves you. You’re Oliver Queen. Your family is practically royalty. They’re perfect.”

“That’s what everyone thinks. Sometimes I feel like I have to portray the perfect son, to the perfect family. But, I don’t want that. I guess that’s why sometimes I rebel and screw up.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “My parents are getting divorced.” He was quiet for a few seconds. “That’s why I had to go to camp for the summer. My sister’s ten years younger than I am. I don’t know how she’s going to take the news. I mean, she probably won't understand, but still.”

Felicity’s eyes widened with Oliver’s revelation. What was she supposed to say? A noise coming from Oliver caught her attention. She looked over at him. “ _Are you crying?_ ”

“No,” Oliver whimpered.

“Jesus,” she let a breath out. She scooted a bit closer to him, and put an arm around his shoulder. She wasn’t one to offer comfort to anyone, but she figured she could at least try in this situation. Because that was what nice people did… at least she hoped it was. “Look, I’m not really an affectionate person.” After another pause, she said, “People aren’t meant to be together forever.” She felt Oliver stir beside her at her words.

“You think so?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah,” she answered quickly. She had come to this conclusion a long time ago, when her father had left her and her mother. It had left her heartbroken; and even though she was so young, she had decided that she wouldn’t depend on anyone else, ever again.

They fell into a comfortable silence.

“Can I finger you?” Oliver asked.

“No.”

“Okay.”

Felicity removed her arm from around Oliver, bringing it back to her side, with her hand on her lap. She sighed. At least summer was just about over.

__________

_Five Years Ago_

Felicity walked through the house of the frat party she was at. Her childhood friend, Sara, had invited her to meet her here. She looked around for Sara, but it proved to be more difficult with the amount of half naked people around. Sara had told her it was a PJs party, and she had a worn long johns. Apparently she had missed the memo to dress as skimpy as she could. Walking around, she found a familiar face dancing in between two girls. A smile came to her face, remembering Oliver Queen. The guy who tried to finger her when she was twelve years old.

“Hey!” Sara called from her right.

She turned to look at her. “Sara.”

Sara hugged her with a huge smile on her face. Felicity could tell she was already pretty buzzed.

“Oh. My. God.” She unbuckled Felicity’s coat. “I told you this was a _pajama party_. What is this?” she asked, taking a look at her pajamas, a look of disgust on her face. “You’re wearing actual long johns? What? This is a party, Felicity! Wait, you just have to be drunk and look hot! Watch me,” Sara instructed, pointing at herself. She moved to stand on a nearby chair. “Hey!” she yelled out, attempting to get everyone's attention, but not many people turned to look at her. Unhappy with that, she repeated louder, “Hey!” That caught everyone’s attention and the music was momentarily cut off. “I’m so drunk!” Sara announced to the room, which proceeded to erupt in cheers. Sara got down and walked back to Felicity. “Come on.” Sara pulled Felicity along to the keg, where she then filled a cup for her. “Here.”

Felicity took the cup and a hefty drink, still looking around, hoping to catch sight of Oliver again.

__________

Oliver walked away from the two girls he had been dancing with, using the excuse he needed a new beer. On most nights, it was something that he enjoyed. The partying, the girls, the booze. But, sometimes it got boring. It was the same thing over and over again. He spotted Tommy, his childhood best friend, and walked towards him. He didn’t want to deal with random girls throwing themselves at him tonight.

“Hey,” Tommy greeted. “Did you find anyone?”

“Nah,” Oliver shook his head. Looking around the room, hoping to avoid the two girls, Oliver spotted what appeared to be a familiar set of eyes. But, he didn’t know where he knew them from. Or the name of whom they belonged.

“Hey, do you know that girl?” Oliver asked Tommy, motioning over to where the girl he had been staring at stood with her friend.

“The sexy pioneer?”

“I’m pretty sure I know her.” Before Tommy could say anything else to him, Oliver took off towards the blue eyed, blonde, pointing the foam finger he had at her.

She began walking towards him as well with a smile, making him think maybe she remembered him, too.

Stopping a few inches apart, Oliver said confidently, “I know you.”

She smiled brightly. “Hi, Oliver Queen of Camp Weehawken. I’m Felicity Smoak. You tried to finger me.”

He remembered instantly. “Yeah! Sorry about that,” he grimaced. “Teenage hormones of a fourteen year old. Wait, do you go here? What are you doing here?” he asked, genuinely curious. He didn’t remember much about her, just how funny she was. And her babbles that could sometimes go on forever. It weirded out most people, but he had found it intriguing that whole summer. She was a nice distraction from everything going on at home. But, he hadn’t wanted to treat her like just any other girl. From the moment he’d met her, he knew she was different. So, he’d stayed away. Not really talking to her, unless necessary. At least until that end of summer dance, where he was pretty sure he had embarrassed himself.

“No, no I don’t go to CCU. I go to M.I.T., actually. My mom lives here, and I’m town for this family thing.”

“Wow. So you grew up to be a lot smarter than me.”

“Yep. Sometime’s my neck’s so sore.”

“Why?” he asked, perplexed.

“Because my brain is so big.” She grinned.

Oliver laughed. “That’s better than being kicked out three colleges. This one is number four, and we’re hoping it sticks.”

“Hopefully,” Felicity agreed with him.

“I like you,” Oliver said with a grin, and he found himself actually meaning it.

“Wait, why? You don’t even know me.”

“I like you,” he repeated.

After a minute of silently staring into each other’s eyes, Felicity spoke. “I have to go to this stupid family thing tomorrow, want to go with me?”

The words came out of his mouth before he could think them through. “Yeah, sure. I’ll come with you. What is it?”

She shrugged. “Just some stupid thing.”

__________

When Oliver had agreed to come with Felicity to the “stupid family thing,” her father’s funeral had definitely not been anywhere on the list of things it could be in his mind. He looked around, feeling completely out of his element. It was the most uncomfortable he’d ever been. The reverend spoke about Felicity’s father’s accomplishments, and from the sounds of it, he had been a very intelligent individual. After the service, they had all gone back to Felicity’s mom’s house for the reception. He stood staring out one of the windows, and caught sight of Felicity comforting her mom, by wrapping a blanket around her. Probably to ward off the chilly air that had settled. He wondered why it was that she had disregarded it as a stupid family thing. Nonetheless, he would make the most of this. No matter what. He would offer his support to Felicity, because she had been there for him when they were kids and he was going through his parents’ divorce. And, because he really liked her.

He hadn't thought it could get more awkward, but Felicity proved him wrong.  

__________

Felicity couldn’t say what it was that had made her want to invite Oliver to her father’s funeral, but she had just gone ahead and done it. There was no going back now. She found Oliver and walked him over to where her mom was standing.

“Hey mom, this is Oliver. Oliver, this is my mom,” Felicity introduced the two.

“Honey,” her mom began, “I didn’t know you were dating anyone.”

Her mom was always more invested in her relationships than her accomplishments. And, it annoyed Felicity to no end. They were so different.

“Oh, I’m not dating him,” Felicity answered easily. “I just had a one night stand with him when I was twelve years old.”

Oliver looked uneasy standing between the two women. “It’s a nice funeral.”

After the reception, Felicity walked Oliver back out to his car. He got in and Felicity leaned against the door frame.

“I'm glad you stayed,” she spoke softly.

“Me, too,” Oliver responded. “I'll call you--”

“Oliver,” Felicity interrupted, “You're a wonderful guy. If you're lucky, you're never going to see me again.”

He nodded once, his expression not quite describable, before starting up his car and driving away.

It left Felicity with a sense of “what if,” but knowing it could never be more than that. She didn't allow herself to get close to people, because they always wound up leaving. Today had just been a reminder of that. With a sigh she walked back inside her mom’s house.

_________

_One Year Ago_

Felicity looked around at the different pieces the jeweler had on display at the local farmer’s market. It had become a tradition for her, Sara, and her other childhood best friend Iris, to go at least once a month.

Sara's parents had also divorced when she was younger. Both Felicity’s mom, Donna, and Sara’s dad, Quintin, had met during a divorcees support group. They had bonded over being left behind with young daughters and had been friends ever since. When they were younger, Sara and Felicity had hoped their parents would get married so they could become sisters, but after years of nothing, they had resigned to the fact Donna and Quintin would never be more than friends.

Iris’ dad, Joe, had also been a part of the same support group, but had come in a couple of years later. Donna, Quintin, and Joe, would all hang out, and in turn Iris had also grown close to the two girls.

Sara was eating a sample from one of the vendors, when Tommy came to stand next to her. He didn't really notice her at first, but when they both looked at the same item, Tommy made a comment that had them both glancing up at each other.

“Hey,” Sara said, as recognition flooded her. She pointed at Tommy. “Yeah, we, we went to college together.”

“Yeah, we did. CCU.” He turned slightly to where Oliver was. “Hey Oliver! Look, it's Sara.”

Oliver walked over to stand where Tommy and Sara were. “Hey,” he greeted, followed by a hug to Sara. “How's it going?”

“Pretty well,” she answered. “Just shopping around. My roommate and I come here a lot. She's actually right over there.” Sara pointed to where Iris and Felicity were, smelling candles. “Felicity!” Sara called out, devilish smirk on her face.

Felicity turned immediately at the sound of her name. She felt caught off guard by the sight of Oliver. A smile crept onto her face. She hadn’t thought she would ever see him again. She walked towards them and Oliver met her halfway. They stopped inches from each other, just taking each other in.

“Oliver,” she breathed.

“Felicity.” He tipped his head.

She found herself unable to look away from him. Time had been good to him. He's always been good looking, but now he was just breathtaking. He looked every bit of the man he was. And, he was muscular, very, very muscular. She figured he probably worked out. Yeah, he definitely worked out.

“What is this? The Peach Pit?” Tommy asked. “That was a 90210 reference.”

“And how do you know that?” Sara asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh, well…” Tommy floundered, looking unsure of what to say next.

But, Felicity ignored them and instead focused solely on Oliver, standing right before her. She focused on his blue, blue eyes that were sucking her in.

“What are you doing here?” Oliver asked her.

“Oh, um, I just moved to Starling. I’m vice president of Palmer Tech. They’re starting a branch out here in Starling and I’m helping to get it off the ground. Also, we’re about to launch our next line of smart wearables. So, I’m also doing that.”

At that moment, a tall skinny, brunette that Felicity could only describe as a model walked up next to Oliver. She wrapped an arm around his waist, and lay her other one on his chest, showing their obvious closeness.

“Hi,” she said, looking between Oliver and Felicity.

_Definitely Russian_ , Felicity thought. She felt slightly uncomfortable standing before them.

After another second of silence, Oliver offered introductions. “Isabel, this is Felicity. Felicity, Isabel.”

Isabel offered Felicity a smile, but Felicity couldn’t tell if it was genuine or not. Felicity gave her a small nod, but couldn’t take her eyes off of Oliver. And, it appeared he couldn’t either. Which, Felicity did not mind one bit. Not one bit.

“Felicity!” she heard being called out behind her. Probably by Sara.

“Well, we’re going to head out.” She looked at Isabel and said, “It was nice to meet you.”

“Like wise,” she responded with a tight smile.

The smile looked fake once again, and Felicity momentarily wondered how Oliver had ended up with someone like her. The Oliver she remembered from camp, surely deserved better.

Oliver interceded. “Yeah. Well, give me your number. We should hang out.”

Felicity agreed with him. “Yeah, we should. Give me your phone.” She held her hand out for Oliver’s phone. Once he did, she quickly typed her info in and took a silly shot of herself for her contact photo, before handing it back to him. She to turned to head to where Sara and Iris were waiting for her, but stopped to look back at Oliver and gave him one last goodbye. “Bye,” she said, waving at him.

“See you later.”

Felicity smiled and then headed off to her friends. Oliver had been an anomaly in her life that appeared every so often. She wondered if this time around he would stick around longer.


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all to the response to the first chapter. Here's the second, catching up to present time. Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Special thanks to my friend Lo, for beta-ing, mkskolicity, for being my cheerleader, and quiveringbunny for the artwork (found in the previous chapter). 
> 
> Also, to all of you who continue to comment on my other fic, Unexpected, thank you very much for continuing to support it. I've been trying to work on it.

_Today_

Oliver looked over the books again, making sure everything was matching up. Oliver had been working as the manager of Verdant for a little over a year now. It was a job he truly enjoyed. He was able to mostly work days and only required to show up at night every once in awhile to make sure everything was going well, which allowed him to spend most nights with his friends. His job mostly consisted of organizing the employees’ schedules and keeping track of inventory, as well as keeping the club running smoothly. In the year he had been working there, he had learned a lot about what it meant to run a business. And, he was paying far more attention, than when his dad had been trying to get him to take over the family company. His boss, Slade Wilson--the owner of the club--gave him a lot of free reign, also. He trusted Oliver.  And he found himself wanting to do more for the business. He had been creating a new business plan that he thought would help increase production time, clientele, and revenue. Except, he wasn’t quite sure how to go about presenting it to Slade.

A knock at the door caused him to look up again.

“Come in.”

“Hey,” Shado, one of the hostesses opened the door. “Shipment just arrived. The delivery guy is asking for you. McKenna is talking to him right now.”

“Okay, I’ll be right out,” Oliver answered.

She closed the door and left him alone once again. His phone chimed, signaling he had received a text. Oliver unlocked his phone and saw it was from his dad, inviting him over. Although he didn’t see his dad often these days, he thought it was a good opportunity to present his plans to his dad and then go from there. His dad would be able to give him pointers, since he owned his own multi-billion dollar company. Oliver smiled at the thought and headed downstairs.

__________

Oliver drove the familiar road to his father’s house. He had called him earlier in the day, asking him to come over. At the gate, he entered the familiar code and then drove onto driveway to park in front of the house. It was a beautiful sunny day in Starling City, the first one a few days of constant rain. He walked through the house, calling out to his dad, but with no response. Stepping out onto the back porch, he found him swimming laps in the pool. His dad had become obsessed lately with being in shape. Oliver didn’t understand the reasoning behind it, especially because of how old his father was.

His father noticed him when he stood at the edge of the pool.

“Oliver!” He swam towards the edge of the pool and after a few tries, was able to push himself up and out of the water. They walked towards the house, making their way inside, and settling at the kitchen island.

“How’s the club going? You still liking it?” Robert asked.

“Yeah, I am. I mean, I wish I could do more. Otherwise, what was the point of finally making it through college number four with my MBA? Actually, I have a business plan and I was hoping you would take a look at it. Let me know if it’s any good?” Oliver took presented his dad with the plans he had made.

“Okay, I’ll take a look at them. Do you want me to see if I can get someone to help? I have connections.”

Oliver shook his head. “No, please don’t. I want to do this on my own. I don’t want to do it as Robert Queen’s son. I want to make a name for myself.”

“You know, you and Thea have gone out of your way to make sure you don’t use the Queen name to get by anywhere. I wish sometimes you’d both let me help.”

“Well dad, I was really irresponsible when I was younger and I got tired of being able to get away with whatever I wanted, because I was a Queen. And Thea,” he shook his head, “Thea has never wanted to do anything with the Queen name. She’s always wanted to do things on her own terms. She’s strong, dad.”

“And I couldn’t be more proud of the two of you.”

Neither of them spoke for a minute, so the next thing out of Robert’s mouth caught him off guard.

“So, are you having sex?”

Oliver coughed, trying to regain his breath. “What? Why are you asking that? Where did that come from?”

Robert shrugged in response.

“Yes, I’m having sex.”

“If you want any pointers, I can help you out,” his dad offered.

Oliver didn’t understand where this conversation was coming from, but decided to just go with it. “No, I’m fine. Thanks, though. I think.”

“Is there anyone special?” Robert inquired.

It was throwing Oliver off as to why Robert was suddenly interested in his romantic life. Oliver raised his eyebrows, waiting to see if his dad would say anything else. When he didn’t, Oliver answered, “No, not since Isabel.”

Robert scoffed. “It’s been a year. Son, it’s time to move on.”

“It’s been eight months, dad.” Oliver shook his head slightly, attempting to steer the conversation from the direction it had taken. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Robert, dear, did you--”

It was a voice he hadn’t heard in almost a year, and hearing it made him choke on the sip of water he had taken. He turned around to see his ex-girlfriend standing in his father’s hallway.

Isabel stopped short when she saw the surprised look on Oliver’s face. She glanced at Robert and asked, “You didn’t tell him yet?”

“No,” Robert said, shaking his head.

Isabel’s eyes widened and she began to back out of the room. “Damn it!”

Oliver stood up from his stool, anger burning through his blood. _What the fuck?_ was on replay in his head, until he realized he was actually saying it out loud. He began to pace back and forth, not being able to comprehend how his dad could be sleeping with his ex-girlfriend. _His ex!_

Robert waved his hands in front of Oliver, in an attempt to calm him down. “Oliver, I wanted to tell you. I was just about to tell you.”

Oliver paused and glared at his dad. He _had_ to know. “How long?”

“Well, not long.”

That only pissed Oliver off more. He knew it wasn’t going to be an answer he liked. “How long?” he stressed each syllable.

Robert hesitated. He opened his mouth a couple of times, but closed it without answering. “She needed somewhere to stay. We met at a party for Stellmore. I was there for business. We started talking. About you, mostly.”

Oliver raised an eyebrow, requesting an answer to his question.

“June.”

“ _Are you fucking kidding me?!_ _June?!_ ”

Before he could understand what he was doing, he punched Robert in the stomach, causing Robert to double over in pain.

“You’re _sleeping_ with my ex-girlfriend?” he asked incredulously. He was still trying to wrap this information around his head.

“Well, you’ve seen how hot she is.”

Oliver scoffed. “I know how hot she is.”

From somewhere in the house, Oliver heard Isabel say, “Aw, thank you! That’s really sweet!”

“Fuck you!” Oliver yelled, hoping it would reach her.

Robert stood up, facing Oliver. “Now, I’ve never been a perfect dad, but the worst thing you could do is say no to love.”

Oliver’s face scrunched up in disgust. “Who are you? I can’t believe you.” He turned around and walked out of his dad’s home.

This had definitely not been how he’d planned his day to go. Never would he have thought that he and his father would have slept with the same woman. He jumped into his car, and started it up, heading to place he knew he was always welcome.

__________

Thirty minutes later, Oliver found himself laying his head on the counter of his friend, John Diggle’s, restaurant and bar. An ice pack on his hand. Dig came to a stop in front of him, from the other side of the bar, and put down a glass of liquor. Whatever it was, he hoped it was strong. He needed something to wash away the disappointment he felt.

“So,” Dig began, taking him out of his thoughts, “I heard you and your dad share women now? She chose your dad over you? I don’t get it. That’s like trading an iPod for an 8 track. That’s cold.”

Oliver raised his head to level Dig with an incredulous look. He really didn’t need to be reminded.

Beside him, Tommy spoke. “Hey, maybe you should sleep with one of his ex-girlfriends.”

Oliver turned to glare at Tommy. “Stop it. Both of you.” He glanced back at Dig. “Can we talk about anything else? Literally, anything else.”

“Of course. Yeah,” Tommy answered.

“8 track,” Dig repeated to himself, shaking his head.

“That’s it,” Oliver said, pulling out his cell phone. “I’m calling everyone in my phone until someone agrees to have sex with me. It shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Are you sure?” Dig asked.

Oliver heard a voice behind him say, “That sounds like an awful idea.” His sister, Thea, was walking towards the bar to the guys.

She had been working as a waitress for Dig’s bar for a few months now. Thea, having wanted to not depend on their parents’ money, had asked Dig for a job and he had hired her on the spot. He had told Oliver that she had a knack for the business, and Oliver couldn’t be more proud of his little sister.

“Hey, don’t discourage him,” Tommy said. “I’ll drink to that.” He raised his own glass in cheer.

Another waitress brought a round of shots for them.

Thea sighed. “Look, I’m going to go put my purse in the back and get ready for my shift. Please, _please,_ don’t do anything stupid,” she begged Oliver. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Don’t let him do anything stupid,” she warned Tommy and Dig, pointing at both of them. She walked away towards the back to the employee locker room.

When she was out of earshot, Oliver said, “I’m still calling everyone on my contact list.” He scrolled through numbers on his phone. “I need to get laid tonight.”

“That is a terrible self destructive plan,” Dig countered.

“But, we’re behind you one hundred percent,” Tommy offered, taking another drink.

Dig shook his head.

That was all the approval he needed. He dialed the first phone number. Sandra. A girl he dated once in college. Which was unsuccessful. During the phone call, she had informed him that she had stayed in Central City after college. She’d met her now husband, and they had a little boy named William who was turning two in a few months. Upon ending the call, Oliver stared at his phone. He knew people around his age were beginning to settle down, if they hadn’t already, but having it being told to him, felt completely like a different story. However, he didn’t stay on that thought too long and instead moved to sit on one of the couches in the bar and dialing the next girl.

Carrie, another one of the waitresses, brought him another drink, which he took eagerly.

Closer to the bar, Thea, Tommy, and Diggle stood, looking at the trainwreck Oliver’s night was becoming.

“This is awful. If he makes any terrible life choices tonight, I’m blaming the two of you,” Thea warned Diggle and Tommy.

“He’s a grown ass man,” Diggle stated. “He makes his own choices. They’re not always the best, but they’re his.”

Tommy only shrugged.

Oliver, oblivious to everything else around him, listened to what the woman at the other end of the phone said to him. “Yeah, I’d come to Ohio.” It seemed like an obvious response to him.  

As Carrie lay another glass down in front of Oliver, she shook her head. “Ohio? No, you can’t.”

“I’ll take a plane,” Oliver said, to both Carrie and phone, his brows furrowed.

Carrie sighed and headed back to the bar. “You should probably make sure he doesn’t try to leave the country,” she told the three. She glanced back at Oliver. “I have a feeling he’d be up for it right now.”

Oliver continued to be unsuccessful, and he couldn’t understand why. He’d never had this much trouble when he was younger. Yet, every girl he called, either lived far away or was now in a committed relationship. And, even though he’d managed to convince Max Fuller’s fiance to sleep with him during the wedding rehearsal, that same luck was not applying to the situation now.

Oliver ended yet another phone call. He looked at his surroundings, not having realized that he had moved out to the patio. He stood up quickly, planning on just picking up someone inside the bar. However, he stood up too quickly and upon taking his first step, he lost his balance and fell face first into a nearby bush.

“No, man,” Diggle said.

Thea shook her head. “Take him home. _Now_.”

Diggle and Tommy walked over to Oliver and pulled him up.

“I’m fine. I got it,” Oliver informed them, trying to shrug them off.

“No, you very clearly don’t.”

And that was the last thing he remembered, before everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last part is one of my favorite scenes. I really can't say enough how much I love this movie.


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about not posting last week. I had to go out of town and didn't get any time beforehand to post.
> 
> Things pick up in this chapter. And the rating definitely applies.

Oliver’s first thought was that it was far too bright. He squeezed his eyes closed tightly to avoid having to open them just yet. He heard a clinking sound in the distance, that just seemed to overpower everything else. He was finding it difficult to think. He really shouldn't have drank that much. He tried thinking about last night, but he couldn’t remember past being at Dig’s restaurant. 

He finally opened his eyes, looking around. The room was unfamiliar.  _ Where did he end up? _

He found himself naked, with only a small piece of cloth covering him. _Where had that come from?_ _And, where were his pants?_ He sat up on the couch he was currently laying on. 

He looked to his left, where he saw a woman sitting at a breakfast bar, eating cereal. The source of the clinking. She was staring at him. No other movement made besides the clinking. His eyes widened taking her in. He continued to stare at her, not exactly sure what to say. She had long brown hair, ivory skin, and brown eyes. 

“Oh,” she said, after a few seconds of their staring contest, “You don’t remember my name. That’s fine. Do you want some coffee?” 

He cleared his throat, “Yes, please.” Things couldn’t get more awkward than they currently were. He had slept with this woman, and he didn’t even remember her. Although, given his escapades when he was younger, he couldn’t say this was the first time. He looked around the room again, this time searching for his clothes. “Where are my pants?” he asked. 

“I don’t know,” she replied, pouring some coffee from a carafe into a cup. She walked out of the kitchen and towards him, setting down the cup in front of him. “They could be anywhere.” She went back to sit down on a stool at the breakfast bar. She took a sip of her own coffee, and raised it slightly in “cheers,” with Oliver. 

“Uh, was it a good time, last night?” he asked. If he couldn’t remember it, he at least hoped it was good for her.

She tilted her head to the side, seeming to contemplate her answer. “No, it was all right.” 

That caught him a little off guard. And, struck his ego, if he was being honest. He put a hand up. “I want you to know that I respect you.” 

She smiled. “Thank you.” 

“Normally, I would remember the name of someone…” He let the meaning linger, but saw surprise fill her features. 

“What? Did you think we had sex?” she asked, motioning between the two of them with her hand. 

“We didn’t?” He felt confused.  _ What the fuck had happened last night? _ Last night would probably be the last time he drank like that in a while.

“No,” she replied quickly. 

Just then, a guy came into the living room from somewhere down the hall. He walked up towards Oliver. His skin was dark and  he looked well over six feet tall. And, although Oliver passed that mark, he looked even taller. 

“Hey, um,” he spoke with a deep voice, “You left your socks in my room.” 

Oliver’s eyes widened.  _ What the fuck? _ “I did?” 

The man nodded. 

“Did I by chance leave my pants in your room?” he asked. 

“No, when we met you weren’t wearing any.” 

Only one word came to mind:  _ Fuck. _

“Stop teasing him.” Sara walked into the room. Finally someone he knew. 

“Sara. You live here?” 

“Yeah.” She came to sit next to Oliver. 

Oliver looked at everyone, before turning back to Sara. “What happened?” 

“You don’t remember?” 

“Did we?” 

“We had sex, yeah.” 

Oliver’s eyes widened again. To say he was freaking out would be an understatement. He wasn’t really able to think of Sara as anything other than a friend. So the fact they had slept together threw him for a spin. But, still, he could work with this. At least it was someone he knew. He nodded a bit, thinking this over. 

Sara took hold of his hands and placed their joined hands in between them on the couch and looked at him in the eye. “I really liked it. I didn’t know that my body could handle that much pain, and that I would like it.” 

“Uh…” He really didn’t know what to say to that. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Felicity walking into the kitchen. She was wearing a robe, and pouring herself some coffee. 

“Hey!” she greeted him. “You’re up.” 

“Felicity? You live here?” He was sure the surprise was evident in his voice. 

“Yes, I do. Are you feeling any better?” 

A thought crossed his mind. He knew if anyone would be truthful with him, it would be her. Based on the fact they’d known each other so long. “Did I have sex with anyone in this apartment?” He let his gaze fall on everyone, before looking back at her. 

A smile broke out on her face. “No, you didn’t.” 

Sara broke out in laughter. “It was too good to pass up.” She patted him on his naked knee. “Sorry, Queen, but you’re just not my type.” 

He chuckled a bit, feeling the tension he had felt since waking up, finally dissipate. He lingered on her comment. Sara had never been ashamed of her sexuality in college. She had been open about being bisexual. She’d also given him and Tommy crap when they’d make comments about enjoying the fact she was dating a girl.  

“But,” Felicity brought his attention back to her, “I do have your pants in my room if you want them. Come with me,” she motioned behind her with a move of her head. 

Oliver looked around awkwardly, then stood up, because there really was no beating around the fact he was naked, and followed Felicity. 

He heard clapping as he walked past Felicity’s roommates. And, he didn’t know whether it lifted his spirits or made him feel even more awkward. 

“Wow,” Sara said. 

“Yup, I’m definitely gay.” 

Once he reached Felicity’s room, he found her gathering his clothes from throughout the room. 

“How did I get here?” he asked her. 

She faced him and smiled. “You said it was an emergency.” She handed him his clothes and turned around to give him the privacy to put on his clothes. 

“Yeah, I found out my dad has been sleeping with my ex-girlfriend, who is more than half his junior.” He threw on his jeans quickly and sat down at the end of Felicity’s bed. 

Felicity slightly glanced back. “Yeah, I know.” Noticing he had pants on, she turned to face him. “You told me last night.” 

Oliver raised his eyebrows. “Did I tell you in a good way?.” 

“Oh, yeah. You were naked and crying.” She let out a chuckle. 

He felt himself begin to blush from the embarrassment. “Well, that’s just wonderful.” 

Taking in his expression, Felicity immediately backtracked. She sat down next to him and put an arm around him, like she had when they were teenagers. “Hey, it’s going to be okay.” To put her point across even more, she cupped his cheek. 

He found himself unable to break eye contact with her. “Thank you. Seriously.” 

“Ye-yeah. Whenever you need me.” 

The mood in the room dramatically changed. Electricity crackled between them and he was sure Felicity could feel it, too. He knew the smart thing to do would be to move away from her. Before anything happened between them that they would regret, but still, he found himself frozen in place. 

Felicity broke the silence, speaking slowly. “I need to get ready.” She swallowed. “I don’t want to be late to work.” 

But, even _she_ didn’t sound convinced. 

He decided to screw consequences and go for what he wanted in that moment. He'd leave it up to Felicity to tell him she didn’t want it. 

“That would be bad.” He began to pull apart the sash holding her robe together. 

Her robe opened up to reveal a light blue sports bra and black panties. He could see the outline of her nipples, and he just wanted to run his tongue over both of them.

In the next second, they both moved, their lips meeting in the middle. Oliver angled her head to deepen the kiss. He pulled apart her ponytail holding her hair together, threading his fingers through her hair. It felt like silk in his hands.  One hand still in her hair and another around her waist, Oliver moved them to the top of the bed, laying her beneath him. Her head touched the pillow, with her hair fanning out around her.  She spread her legs, opening up for him to settle in between. He ground against her, hitting her in the right spot, if her moan was anything to go by. He did it again as he began kissing down her neck. He nipped at the skin where her neck met her shoulder.  

“Fuck,” she whispered. “Keep doing that.” She took hold of the back of his head, keeping him in place for a second, before guiding his mouth back to hers. They broke apart again, and she whispered, “Condom.” 

In that moment, Oliver didn’t think there was anything sexier Felicity could say in front of him. “Condom,” he repeated. 

He continued to kiss her while her left hand opened and moved through the drawer in her night stand. A few seconds later--too long, if you asked Oliver--Felicity had one in her hand. Oliver rolled off of her, to lay on his back and remove his pants. Felicity tore open the foil and handed him the condom, which he quickly rolled on. But, apparently not quick enough by Felicity’s standards.

“Need help?” she asked, sliding her panties down her legs.

_ He had really looked forward to doing that.  _

“I got it,” he said. He moved back on top of her, putting all his weight on his arms so he wouldn’t crush her. He brushed her blonde hair out of her face and leaned down to kiss her again. 

She moved her hands down his abs and grabbed him, guiding him to her entrance. They locked gazes, not kissing, as he entered her slowly. He paused giving her time to adjust to him. Her walls held him tightly, like they were sucking him in. And, that was fine with him, because he really didn’t want to be anywhere else. However, his body didn’t agree with him and he felt the need to move. She wiggled her hips a little, letting him know she was ready. He pulled out slowly, before thrusting back in, just as slowly. 

He groaned, pulling out again. “ _ Fuck _ . You feel so good,” he whispered, on another thrust. 

Felicity whimpered. Whether at his words or at his thrust, he was unsure. But he also didn’t really care.  

They both paused when a knock came at the door. 

“Felicity?” 

Oliver stared at her and raised an eyebrow, asking her what she wanted to do. She raised her index finger to her mouth, signaling him to be quiet. 

“Yeah?” she called out. 

“We have to be at the office in twenty minutes. We should really head out if we want to make it on time.” 

“Okay, I’ll be right out, Curtis.” 

She waited until they heard footsteps walking away from the door. She took hold of his chin and said, “You have one minute to pull it together, okay?” 

Oliver only nodded in return and began thrusting again, much faster than before. If he only had one minute, he needed to work. His hand traveled down her body, momentarily stopping to flick a nipple, then moved down further to grip her hip. His other hand went directly to her clit and began rubbing it furiously, attempting to get her off fast. Having his partners orgasm was something he always made sure of. He had learned not to be a douche when it came to sex. He had always wanted to maintain a good reputation. It definitely made him cocky at times, but  _ so what? _ And, Felicity’s increased moans now, only added to that confidence in himself. 

A particularly loud moan came from Felicity’s lips and Oliver clamped the hand that had been on her hip, over her mouth. He saw her roll her eyes, but didn’t comment. He figured it could either be from the pleasure he was bringing her or being annoyed at his actions. Probably the latter, but he didn’t worry too much. 

Oliver began feeling a tingling sensation at the bottom of his spine, signaling he was close. He began to thrust faster into her, and moved his head down to pull a peaked nipple into his mouth. Sucking on it and flicking it with his tongue. It was enough to set Felicity off. He felt her begin to flutter around him as she fell over the edge, her walls gripping him tightly. Oliver thrust a few more times before he felt his release, spilling himself into the condom. He let out a loud groan, which made Felicity clamp her hand over his mouth, in an attempt to keep him quiet.  

He kept eye contact with her and in that moment, she looked so beautiful that it tugged at something in him. If he were being honest, he had always had a crush on her; since they were teenagers at camp. But, she had always presented herself as being  _ so smart _ , that he felt far beneath her. He didn’t think that she would ever be interested in someone like him. The fact that she kept reappearing in his life was like a sign letting him know that Felicity Smoak was meant to be someone important in his life. 

After a few seconds, Felicity tapped him on the shoulder. “Okay, get off. I need to go clean up and go to work.” 

He pulled out of her, earning a small groan from her, and followed her into the adjoining bathroom in her bedroom. They cleaned up as fast as they could, trying to meet her roommate’s deadline.  

When they were both dressed, Felicity stood in front of Oliver and laid a hand on his shoulder. “We probably shouldn’t tell anyone, okay?” 

Oliver nodded. “Yeah, okay.” 

Felicity gave a shrug. “It’s just better.” 

There was another knock at her door, followed by what he now knew as Curtis’ voice. “Felicity, we  _ really _ have to go. You know Mr. Dennis doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” 

Felicity groaned, closing her eyes. “I’m coming!” 

Oliver smirked at her and whispered. “You already did.” 

“Oh, you think you’re funny, don’t you?” 

“Yeah, I am.” 

Felicity responded by smacking him in the chest and moved to open the door. 

“You know I am,” Oliver called after her. He looked around the room one last time and smiled to himself. If only fourteen year old Oliver could look at him now. With a shake of his head, he left the room. 


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The awkwardness that comes after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. Literally the story of my life. But, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. :) 
> 
> Shoot me a line and let me know what you think! I love reading your comments. Thanks for your continued support!

Oliver stretched his arms over his head. He was trying to pay attention to what Tommy was saying, but he couldn’t get his mind to focus. He couldn’t focus on anything other than what had happened between Felicity and him a few days ago. 

Tommy got up to go pay the bill and Oliver used the time to check if Felicity had answered his text. Earlier, he had sent a text telling her “hi,” to which she had responded just a quick “hey.” He had attempted to continue the conversation, but it had been silent on her end. He debated for whether or not to try calling her. Before he could talk himself out of it, he dialed her number quickly. It rang for a few times before going to voicemail. 

“Hey, I just wanted to say hi. You didn’t respond to my earlier text and--” 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Felicity getting out of a car with a man, laughing at something the he had said. He was tall and had dark hair. He looked like a douche to Oliver. 

“--you just pulled up to where I’m at. Huh, what are the odds?” He ended the call quickly and stood up. 

He noticed when Felicity finally caught sight of him; her eyes widening a little bit with recognition. 

“Oliver, hey!” she said a little too cheerfully when she reached him. 

“Hi,” Oliver responded to her, with a little awkward wave. He looked the guy that was with Felicity up and down, and then looked over at Felicity, silently waiting for her to introduce them. 

After a few more seconds, she got the hint. “Oh!” She looked up to the guy next to her and then Oliver again. “Oliver, this is Ray. He’s the CEO of Palmer Tech. He’s in town for some time making sure everything is going well with the company here. And Ray, this is Oliver. He’s my… um… he’s my friend. We’ve known each other since we were kids.” 

Ray gave a big smile and a handshake. “Nice to meet you Oliver.” 

“Yeah, you too.” Oliver tried to be enthusiastic, but something about Ray’s smile just seemed, off. 

Ray looked between Oliver and Felicity, and spoke, “Well, I’m going to go ahead and pick up our order.” 

Felicity gave him a short nod with a tight lipped smile. 

When Ray walked away, Oliver spoke. “You look beautiful today.” 

Felicity raised her eyebrows. “Thanks?” 

“You didn’t answer my text earlier.” 

“Oh, yeah. It’s been a crazy a day. We’re getting ready to launch the company’s newest smart wearable. We’re having an event in celebration of the release date soon, so it’s been kind of hectic to make sure everything is in order before then. That’s part of the reason why Ray’s been in Starling. We’re launching it from here. We barely had any time to escape to grab lunch today.” 

“Sounds like you’re pretty busy.” 

“Yeah, I am. But, that’s kind of how my life is currently.” 

At that moment, both Ray and Tommy came back to join them. 

“You ready?” Ray asked, with a bag of food in hand. 

“Hey, Felicity,” Tommy greeted and gave her a quick hug. “Nice to see you.” 

“Hey, Tommy. Same here.” She moved through a quick introduction. “Ray, this is Tommy. Oliver’s friend. Tommy, this is Ray, CEO of Palmer Tech.” She glanced at her phone, checking the time. “Which, we really need to head back to.” 

Ray nodded in agreement. 

“It was nice to see you guys,” Felicity said, waving her hand at the two of them, and then walked towards the car with Ray. 

Oliver was unable to tear his eyes away from Felicity until they drove away. 

“You slept with her, didn’t you?” 

Oliver’s head snapped, to meet Tommy’s eyes.

“What? No. No, I didn’t.” He spoke quickly, remembering Felicity’s request to not telling anyone. But, maybe he had spoken a little too quickly. 

Tommy face lit with a huge grin. “Yes, you did. Wow. Although, I can’t really say I’m that surprised, with all the eye sex you two keep having.” 

“Eye sex? What are you talking about.” 

“Oliver, you’d have to be completely incompetent or blind to not see the fact you’re completely attracted to her. You have since we were young. I remember when you came back from summer camp, talking about her. You couldn’t stop talking about this Felicity.” 

Oliver was quick to deny. “No, I didn’t.” 

Tommy laughed in return. “Okay, sure. I’ll just go ahead and throw out the last fifteen years then.” Tommy challenged him with an eyebrow. 

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Just shut up and help me out here.” They both sat back down at the table and Oliver pulled out his phone. “Okay, so I sent her a text this morning, and she just texted back a, ‘Hey.’ Nothing else. I mean, what does that mean? And right now, it was awkward. It was like she hadn’t wanted to talk to me.” 

Tommy looked between Oliver and the phone’s screen, appearing to be contemplating. “No, clue. I don’t understand women. Nobody does.” Tommy shrugged. “She’s probably just not into you.” 

Oliver’s eyes widened in shock. “Not into me? She was into me enough to sleep with me.” 

“It was probably just a one and done deal.” 

“Do you think she was just using me?” 

“Yeah, I think it’s possible. Now, that guy she was with? What’s his name? He’s probably the type of person she would date. They’d probably make a nice couple.” 

Oliver nodded in acknowledgement, but couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment in his gut. Tommy continued to talk, but Oliver couldn’t focus. The only thing on his mind was the a certain blonde, who had begun to haunt all of this thoughts.  

__________ 

A couple of days later, Oliver walked into Palmer Tech with a balloon saying,  “Congratulations.” He knew it wasn’t the brightest idea, but at least he was being honest with himself about it. But, he  _ really _ wanted to see Felicity. He took the elevator up to her office, and when the doors opened up, signaling his arrival, he walked in the direction he believed her office to be. There was no one at the desk of whom he assumed was her assistant. 

He looked through the glass walls and found her looking over some documents on her desk with her roommate. Oliver remembered his name being Curtis. He gave a quick knock, opened the door to her office, and popped his head in.

He heard a small, “Oh my God,” come from Curtis and saw Felicity’s shocked expression. Whether it was at the balloon or him, he didn’t know. Maybe he shouldn't have gone with that. 

She stepped away from her desk and walked up to him. “Oliver, what are you doing here?” 

“You didn’t call me back,” he gave as explanation. 

Felicity raised her eyebrows. “So, you brought me a balloon? Congratulating me on what? The sex?” she whispered. 

“Yeah.” Oliver shrugged. “I thought you did good. So I wanted to say it to you.” 

“I’m working,” she gestured to her office. 

Oliver ignored that and asked, “Why didn’t you call me back?” 

As if taking a cue from the turn of the conversation, Curtis began walking towards the door. “I think I’ll just be in my office. Come find me later or tomorrow. Whatever.” He closed the door behind him, leaving Oliver and Felicity alone. 

Felicity closed her eyes and scratched her forehead. “I’m not good at this stuff.”

“What? Talking?” 

“Yeah, talking. Communicating. Relationship stuff. If we were in a relationship, I’d become this weird version of myself. It’d be like a peanut allergy--which I have, so I know. But, like an emotional peanut allergy.” Felicity used her hands as illustration to get her point across. 

There was another knock at the door, and Sara walked inside. “Hey,” she said with a smile. She appeared to take the atmosphere of the room. “Is this a bad time?” She looked between Oliver and Felicity. 

“No,” Felicity answered. 

Oliver sighed. “I’ll just head out then.” He handed Felicity the balloon. 

“Bye, Oliver.” Sara waved her hand. 

“Bye,” he responded, near the door. 

“We’ll be friends!” Felicity called after him. 

He turned around for a second to look at her. “Yeah, we’ll be friends.” He gave her a soft smile, but he knew didn’t it reach his eyes. 

He heard, “Thanks for the balloon,” as he continued to walk towards the elevator. 

Thankfully, the elevator doors didn’t take long to open up. He hit button to close the doors and as they closed, he thought to himself that this was definitely not what he had envisioned when first coming in. Not at all. But, at least he knew where they stood now. So, that was something and he’d take it. 

__________

Felicity sipped her glass of wine, while Sara recounted what had happened at work. Felicity knew the talk was coming. She  _ knew _ Sara was just biding her time until she would ask Felicity about Oliver. But, Felicity being the avoidant person she was, planned on pushing it out as much as possible. However, she was only halfway through her third glass when Sara began grilling her about Oliver’s visit to her office. And eventually, Felicity had fessed up about sleeping with him. She blamed it on the two and a half glasses of wine. Sometimes wine was her friend and sometimes it wasn’t. 

“I mean, the height difference! If we stood next to each other, people would think he was kidnapping me.” 

Sara shook her head at Felicity. 

“What?” Felicity asked. 

“You always do this. You always find something wrong with anyone who likes you. You haven’t been open to being in a relationship. Not since Cooper. But, if we’re being honest, we both know it started long before that.” 

Cooper. Her first and only college boyfriend. It hadn’t ended well between them, and Felicity had just taken it as an example that relationships just weren’t for her. They never worked out in the end. 

Not wanting to go deeper into that, she said, “Okay, okay. No need to rehash this stuff.” 

But, it didn’t look like Sara was going to let it go. 

“It’s just that all these perfect guys come into your life and you say, ‘It’ll never work.’ Like with Barry.” 

She pointed at Sara. “Okay, not fair. With Barry, I was more of a distraction. He's spent all of his life in love with Iris. He only started  _ whatever _ it was between us, because Iris had started dating that cop guy. But, it’s all good now, because they’re together. And, I’m really glad we never actually slept together, because that would’ve been really weird.” She finished off her glass of wine. “Look, I know women my age want to be in a relationship, but for me, it just always ends up badly.” 

But, Oliver had been really,  _ really _ good. And, she didn’t remember the last time she’d had sex that great. And, that had only been a quickie. She couldn’t imagine what it’d be like when they actually took their time. Before she could talk herself out it, she pulled out her phone to send him a text. She reasoned with herself that it would be fine. She wouldn’t let it get far. Maybe just one more time. 

“What are you doing?” Sara asked. 

Without looking at her, she replied, “Texting him.” 

“Of course you are.” 

What Felicity didn’t catch, was Sara’s mischievous smile, showing this was just the outcome she had wanted. 

__________ 

Oliver and Tommy made their way to Dig’s restaurant for a late dinner. Oliver had the night off. When he had asked Slade if he wanted him to come into the club tonight, Slade had waved him off and told him it wasn’t necessary. 

“You know, in hindsight, it was probably the worst idea to get her a balloon. Did you think you were the old guy from ‘Up?’” 

“You told me to get her a balloon!” Oliver pointed out to his best friend. 

“I didn’t think you’d actually do it. It’s a terrible idea.” 

Oliver gave Tommy an annoyed look. “It would’ve been nice if you would’ve told me that beforehand.” 

“I don't promise I won't continue to give you shitty advice, I just promise I will be better at checking if you follow through or not.” 

Oliver could only shake his head at Tommy as he opened the door for them to enter the restaurant. “Look, no one knows anything about this. So please-- _ please _ \--don’t say anything.”

Tommy nodded his head as they both walked inside. 

As they made their way to a table, Oliver saw Thea and acknowledged her with a quick nod of his head. There was a live band playing in the corner, a cover of some popular tune, but Oliver couldn’t really say which one. Every so often, Dig’s restaurant opened up its doors for unknown bands to play, so they could get some exposure. 

When they were both seated, Oliver’s phone went off, signaling he had received a text. He pulled out his phone, surprise capturing him when he saw who it was from. 

“It’s from Felicity.” The words were out of this mouth before he could stop himself. 

Tommy narrowed his eyes, and Oliver knew his friend was just as surprised. “What does it say?” he asked. 

Oliver read off the text. “Where are you?”

Tommy’s laugh caught him off guard. “What are you going to write back?” 

“How about, ‘Hi, how are you doing?’ And then, a winky face.” 

“No, Oliver. Come on, it’s after ten. The only reason someone would text you is for a booty call.” 

At that moment, Dig walked up to them and sat down at the table next to Tommy. “Hey man, did you sleep with Felicity and then get her a balloon?” he asked Oliver. 

Oliver’s eyes shot to Tommy, giving him an incredulous look. “Did you tell him?” 

“No,” Tommy was quick to respond, but thought better of it and said, “Yes.” 

Oliver turned his attention on Dig. “You can’t tell anyone.” 

To which Dig only shook his head in return, amusement clear on his face. 

Tommy looked at Dig and, while pointing at Oliver, said, “She just texted him, ‘Where are you?’” 

Dig smiled at Oliver. “Oh, she wants you, man.” 

“You want to come back strong,” Tommy offered. “Go from a position of power. Something like, ‘Where am I? Why don’t you check your underpants.’” 

“Yeah,” Dig nodded, but then countered with a shake of his head and, “Don’t write that.” 

“I would never write that,” Oliver defended himself. 

Thea walked up to their table, cleaning up their bottles. “Did you have sex with some girl and then give her a balloon?” 

Oliver shot Tommy a murderous glare. “ _ Can we not tell everyone? _ ” 

Thea laughed. “I’ll bring you guys another round. Also, are we still up for brunch tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” 

“Okay, big brother.” She gave him a peck on his check. “I’ll be back in a bit.” She walked off towards other tables.

“So,” Dig said, “What are you going to write?” 

In the end, it was something simple that came to mind. “Hi.” 

Tommy and Dig exchanged glances for a few seconds, then both gave their approvals. 

“Yeah, that’s good.” 

“Yeah, that’s not bad.” 

Oliver quickly texted it, and received a text back faster than he would have expected. But, it was what was in the text that threw him for a loop. 

**_Your place in 30?_ **

Oliver tapped his fingers on the table, reading over the text a few more times. Debating with himself. In the end, his desire won out. 

“I’m leaving,” he briefly announced as he got up and practically ran towards the door. 

“Well, we know what he’s doing tonight,” Tommy announced. 


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation from the last chapter. Will Felicity and Oliver give in to what they want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around! It's been a busy month. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

In the end, it only took him twenty minutes to arrive to his place, and by then, Felicity was already waiting. He had been running up the stairs, knowing the elevator would take too long,  when he saw her leaning against the wall right next to the door. She was looking at her phone, wearing yoga pants, a shirt, and a jean jacket, and she looked beautiful. Oliver slowed down to a walk, since she still hadn’t noticed him, and really took her in. However, it was short lived when she looked up to meet his eyes. 

“What took you so long?” she questioned, with a grin on her face. She put her phone away in her jacket. 

A smile broke out on Oliver’s face and with more confidence than he’d had earlier in the day at her office, he walked towards her. As soon as he reached her, he grabbed her face with both hands and pulled her in for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around Oliver’s neck and he moved his hands from her face down her body, stopping at the curve her of her ass. 

She pulled away first. “Not that I’m not excited about this greeting, but do you think we can take it inside?” She fluttered her eyelashes and pouted her lips. 

She spoke so innocently, but he could see the desire in her eyes. And  _ yes _ , they could most definitely take this inside. He took his keys out of his pocket and opened the door to his place. As soon as he closed the door behind him, Felicity pushed him onto it, leaning on the very tips of her toes to kiss him. Oliver helped her, reaching his hands down to her ass, squeezing really quick, before heading further down to the tops of her thighs and lifted her up. Felicity wrapped her legs around him, and her arms around his neck. He walked them further into the room, until they hit one of the wooden pillars. He moved one hand to her lower back, so she wouldn’t get hurt when he pushed her into it, rocking his hips into hers. 

She moaned into his lips and began tearing at his clothes. She pushed off his jacket first, struggling, because he wouldn’t move his hands away from her. 

“Oliver,” she whispered. 

He groaned, and put his arms back, enough for her to remove his jacket completely. He was about to move back in, when she grabbed the hem of his henley and slowly dragged it up his body. He raised his hands to help her remove it. He caught her checking out his chest. He didn’t hide the grin that made it’s way on his face. He was proud of the fact that he worked out, and it showed on his body. 

Felicity bit her lip, and the sight of it made his dick twitch in his jeans. She ran her hand down his chest, stopping to dip her finger in the grooves of his abs. She waited another few seconds, before quickly removing her jacket and cami. That was when he realized that she wasn’t wearing a bra. 

“ _ Fuck. _ ” He dropped his head on her shoulder. Holding her steady against the pillar, he let his hands roam up her body, stopping at the underside of her breasts, molding his hands to her breasts, enjoying the moan and drop of her head against the pillar. She flexed her hips, probably seeking the same friction that he wanted. 

Her words came out in a pant. “Yes, we should definitely get to that part.”

“We can skip the foreplay. I’m way too turned on right now, and I just need you in me. Like now.” 

“Geesh, Felicity. Are you trying to make me come in my pants? It’s like you know exactly what to say to get me hard.” 

She let out a giggle that caused him to laugh. When her fit of giggles stopped, she looked up at him. “Well then, get to it.” 

He held onto her tightly and walked them over to the couch, dropping her onto it, where she proceeded to have another fit of giggles as she bounced a little. 

He moved over her, covering her lips with his own, effectively turning her laughter into a moan. Her hips bracketed him, opening up for him as he settled between them. His hands made their trek down her body, gripping her hips tightly, pulling her closer to him right where they both needed it. He ground against her, and he was sure she could feel how hard he was, if her own hips’ response was anything to go by. 

He kissed her down her neck, stopping at the spot where her neck met her shoulder to nip it, before laving it with his tongue. He couldn’t get enough of her. He kissed her collarbone, spending a few seconds there, before making his way to his end goal. He took one peaked nipple into his mouth and sucked, earning a loud moan from Felicity. 

“Oh, yes... yes,” Felicity moaned and gripped the back of his head, making sure he wouldn’t move. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her move her other hand to give her other breast attention, too, but he wasn’t having that. He pushed her hand out of the way with his own, taking over the ministrations, while continuing to lave her nipple, then switched his attention to her other nipple.  

“Wait, wait.” She pushed his chest up a bit. 

Felicity’s words made him pause and look up at her.

“There are just way too many clothes for my liking. Take off your pants.” She emphasised by tugging on waistline of his jeans. 

He felt a little put off by the fact she had stopped him, yet he also found himself incredibly turned on the by the fact she was telling him exactly what she wanted. He got off of her and made quick work of his shoes, socks, jeans, and boxers. When he lay his attention back on Felicity he saw she had also taken off her pants.  

He paused to take her in. “You’re so beautiful,” he informed her, unable to take his eyes off of her body. 

She gave him a blinding smile and he moved back on top of her, kissing her softly, but soon it was heating up to more. 

“You are, too,” she said softly, grabbing his length and pumping it. 

He thrust into her hand a few times, but didn’t know how much longer he could last. Thankfully, she broke away again, but he still internally groaned at the loss of contact. 

“Condom,” she whispered. 

He got off of her to look for his pants. When he found them, he took out his wallet to search for a condom. After a few seconds, he was successful and went back to Felicity. He tore the wrapper and quickly rolled it down his length. 

“Whoa,” Felicity gasped. “That’s beautiful. Like that’s probably one of the best penises I’ve ever seen. You’re  _ very _ well endowed Oliver.” 

“Can we not discuss other guys’ penises when we’re about to have sex?” he asked. 

“Oh, right. Probably shouldn’t have done that.” 

She pulled him back to her, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her so she could kiss him. That was all it took for him to find himself back in the mood. 

He aligned himself to her entrance, and locking eyes with her, pushed in slowly. He groaned at the feeling of her walls encasing him. She was warm, wet, and tight. He paused to let her adjust to him. 

“You feel so good,” he grunted. 

“You, too. You, too.” She closed her eyes and arched her back, flexing her hips. 

After a few more seconds, he began to move. He began thrusting slowly, her moans spurring him on. However, Felicity made it clear she wanted more. 

“Harder, I want it harder. Come on, Oliver.” 

He gave into her and started a punishing rhythm. He grabbed both of her legs and hooked them over his elbows, changing the angle and hitting her in the right spot, if her increasing moans were anything to go by. 

“Aahh!” Felicity screamed into his neck, followed by kissing him there. 

He felt the tingling burn at the bottom of his spine and knew he wouldn’t last long. He needed to get her there quick, but from the way she was gripping him tightly, he didn’t think would take much longer. He moved one hand down to her clit, rubbing it furiously, wanting to get her off before himself. Her walls began to tremble around him and she arched her back, mouth open, but nothing coming out, until finally, finally, she came with a cry of his name. And, even though it hard hard for him--pun very much intended--he increased the speed of his thrusts, prolonging her orgasm. A few thrusts later, he came  _ hard _ , spilling himself into the condom. 

For the next few minutes, all that could be heard were their mingled pants as they tried to regain their breath. The two times that he’d had sex with Felicity had been amongst his best experiences and he didn’t want to stop. 

Felicity spoke up first, disrupting the silence they had fallen into. 

“That was good. No, it was great. A lot better than the first time. Definitely glad I showed up tonight.” She gave him a smile that just  _ did _ something to him. 

He smiled back. “Me, too.” 

__________ 

After a couple more rounds, Oliver and Felicity found themselves in Oliver’s bed, nothing but the sheet covering them. They were both lying at a distance from each other, staring up at the ceiling. They had tried for his room for the second round, but hadn’t gotten further than the wall outside his room. However, the third time, they were finally able to make it to his room. 

Felicity could confidently say she had been thoroughly fucked. That was something she hadn’t said very often… maybe ever. She was completely blissed out and loving it. 

“There were so many things going on that last round,” she spoke out. 

“Yeah,” Oliver answered. 

“That flippy thing. What was that?” 

“I just had an idea and I went with it.” He pointed out his hand, emphasizing his point. 

“It was a really good one.” 

Oliver glanced at her. “Thank you.” 

He moved closer to her, and before she could really pay attention, he wrapped an arm around her, snuggling into her. However, Felicity  _ didn’t do _ cuddling. She continued to stare up at the ceiling, feeling awkward and not quite sure how to approach this. 

“We probably shouldn’t snuggle,” she told Oliver. 

Oliver moved away quickly. “Yeah, gotcha.” 

She felt bad, but not bad enough to cuddle with him. She sat up and swung her feet to the side of the bed. She removed the sheet and began looking around the room for her clothes. “I should head out.” She made her way downstairs where all of her clothing was, unashamed of her nakedness. As she walked out the door, she heard Oliver’s small groan at the sight of her ass and smirked. 

Oliver put on a clean pair of boxers and followed her out. “Already?” Oliver asked.

She easily found her panties, slipping them on. Then her shirt, throwing it on quickly. “Yeah.” She avoided eye contact with Oliver. 

“You want to grab a muffin or something?” He pointed towards the kitchen. 

It was so cute that he kept trying. “I can’t. I have to go home and finalize some things for a meeting tomorrow morning.” She found her yoga pants and put them on, followed by her shoes.

He leaned against one of the columns, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know, I don’t want to freak you out, but I’d love to hang out with you in the day time. Sometime. You know.” 

Felicity met his eyes. “That’s not really possible. I have a million things I’m in charge of. I’m less than a month out from the launch of our new smart wearable. Not to mention the gala I’m in charge of for the launch. And, then all the stuff that comes afterwards!” She let out a breath and walked, stopping in front of him. “What I need is someone who can be in my bed at two in the morning, who I don’t have to lie to. Or eat breakfast with, because I don’t get to eat it to begin with most of the time.” 

“I hate breakfast. And lying. Also, I hate war,” he said with a grin. 

He just had a way of making her smile. A thought popped into her head, that caused her to smile even more. She and Oliver could be fuck buddies. She didn’t want to be in a relationship, but at the same time she  _ really _ enjoyed sleeping with him. She debated propositioning it for a few seconds, before deciding to just go for it. “Do you want to do this?” 

“Do what?” 

She gathered her jacket in one hand and walked up to him. “Use each other for sex? At all hours of the day and night. Nothing else.” God, she really hoped he’d say yes, because she wanted to continue having sex with him. 

He took a minute to think about it. “Yeah, I could do that.” 

That filled Felicity with relief and joy. “Good. It’s going to be fun.” She leaned up on her toes to kiss him shortly. 

When she pulled away, she slid on her jacket and made her way towards the door. 

Oliver walked out with her. “You know, it’s never going to work.” He walked her to the elevator and Oliver pushed the button calling the cab. 

“Why not?” Felicity asked. She had turn her head up to look at him. She hadn’t worn heels so she had to crane her neck more. 

“Because, clearly you’re going to fall in love with me,” Oliver replied cockily. 

Felicity let out a laugh. “Oh, really?” However, she thought about the actual possibility of it.  “Well, can’t we just do this until one of us feels something more? Then we stop.” The idea seemed doable to Felicity. It would be a good way to keep it safe. And Felicity knew a thing or two about turning her emotions off when necessary. 

Oliver grinned. “Oh, it won’t be me.” 

Felicity’s eyes widened. “Well it won’t be me.” 

Oliver leaned in, cupping her cheeks, and kissed her, leaving her breathless. “Good luck with that.”

_ Fuck _ . He knew how to kiss. 

The elevator dinged, announcing it’s arrival. The doors opened revealing one of Oliver’s neighbor with his dog. The neighbor stepped out and Felicity stepped in. She gave him a little wave as the doors closed. 

“We’re sex friends. Friends who have sex,” Oliver told his neighbor. 

His neighbor raised an eyebrow, then said, “That’s not possible.” 

__________ 

After that, Felicity and Oliver were having sex all the time. Whenever they wanted. Wherever they wanted. At Oliver’s apartment. Felicity’s apartment. Oliver’s car. Felicity’s office (that one was her favorite). It was the best form of relationship Felicity had ever had. It mostly had to do with the fact that it wasn’t really a relationship. She didn’t know why she hadn’t done this sooner. Although, she couldn’t really think of anyone else other than Oliver to do it with. 

__________

“Maybe we should establish some ground rules.” Felicity spoke, quickly pulling on her dress. She began to search throughout Oliver’s bedroom for her panties. 

“Ground rules?” Oliver stretched his arms above his head as he sunk further into the comfy bed. 

“Yeah. We can start with no biting. At least not anywhere visible, ‘cause I actually kind of like it when you do that.” She paused to nod at him with a smirk on her face, causing him to grin back. “But, I’m a respectable VP of a billion dollar company, so I can’t be walking around with bite marks and hickeys on my neck.” She lifted some pillows that had fallen on the floor, still unable to find her underwear. “No lying. No jealousy. No staring deeply into each other’s eyes. We’re fucking, not dating.” She turned to face him. “Oh, and please don’t list me as your emergency contact. I won’t come.” 

Oliver’s eyes widened. “Really?” 

Felicity nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I’d let you die.” 

He stared at her. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Oliver reached out, grabbing her hand and pulling her back on top of him. He made fast work of removing her dress and rolled them over so he was on top of her. 

Felicity let out a giggle. “Oliver, I have to go.” She moaned when he ground his hips into hers, arching her back. 

“Nope,” he shook his head. “You don’t.” He kissed her pulse point, feeling it flutter beneath his lips. “You can just stay here with me.” 

He continued to move his hips and she felt him hardening. 

“You just like me on my back,” she panted, raking her hands up his naked back. 

Oliver nipped at where her neck met her shoulder, drawing out a gasp from her. “Yeah, I do.” He quickly rolled over again so she was straddling him. “But, I also like me on my back, with you riding me.” 

Just like that, she was fully aroused again. She scrambled off of him and opened the drawer in his nightstand, searching for a condom. Oliver stared at Felicity, while she did so. When Felicity had returned, she straddled him again, sitting on his thighs. She grabbed his cock and pumped him a few times, feeling him harden even more under her attention. She spread the precum all over the tip, earning a groan from him. She tore the foil with her teeth and took her time rolling it down his length. 

“Shit, Felicity.” 

She ground herself against him, his cock slipping through her folds, eliciting a moan from her at the sensation. 

“If you keep that up, I don’t know if I’m going to make it.” 

She grinned, raising an eyebrow, “Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” 

He ran his hand through her sex, teasing her entrance by dipping one finger in, before moving up to circle around her clit. “Shit. You’re so wet. You’re so responsive. How?” 

She leaned down to his chest. “You turn me on so much. All you have to do is touch me,” kiss, “talk to me,” kiss, “and I’m good to go.” 

She looked up at him, reaching down to line him up with her entrance, and sank onto him, not breaking eye contact. She went slowly, inch by delicious inch. She groaned, leaning back. Her hands moved up her body, until they reached her breasts. She cupped them, massaging them gently. She groaned at the pleasure and ground her hips, causing Oliver to moan. 

After a few seconds of allowing her to adjust to his size, he gritted out, “Move.”

She lifted herself up slowly half way, before sinking back down, driving Oliver crazy. She did it again a couple of more times and Oliver panted, “ _ Felicity _ ,  _ faster _ , _ please _ .” 

She picked up her speed; bouncing on him and circling her hips when she went down. She grabbed onto the headboard for support as she continued to lift up and down. He allowed her to move on her own for a little while, only guiding her by holding onto her hips. However, eventually it was too much for him and he needed more, but he wouldn’t come before her. He began matching her with his own thrusts and brought a hand down to rub her clit. As soon as he touched her, she let out a moan. 

“I’m close, I’m close,” she whispered as she leaned down to kiss him. 

He felt her walls begin to flutter before clamping down on him-- _ hard _ \--setting off his own orgasm. “Fuck.” 

“ _ Oliv-Oliver _ .” Her head fell back and eyes closed as she let out a cry, signaling her own orgasm. Her walls continued to milk him dry. He thrust a couple of more times, losing his rhythm momentarily, before coming to a stop. They spent a couple of minutes trying to regain their breath. Felicity touched her forehead to Oliver’s, and they stared at each other; not speaking. 

A loud banging came at the door and they both paused. 

“I can’t focus on my porn, with all this real sex going on!” Tommy yelled. 

Tommy’s words only caused them to laugh loudly. 


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter! Enjoy.

The sun shone brightly as Barry chased Iris around the grass at the park, with Iris giggling joyfully. 

The group--Iris, Barry, Oliver, Tommy, Curtis, Sara, Felicity, and Ray--had decided to make use of the warm day and have a barbeque at the park. Ray had not been within the initial invitees, but Felicity had been on the phone--speaker--discussing their plans, when Ray had walked into her office. Upon hearing about the plans, he had given what Felicity could only describe as a really awkward set of puppy eyes. And Felicity  _ knew _ puppy eyes. Oliver gave them to her all the time, because he knew how much they affected her. But Ray’s, Ray’s just made her feel uncomfortable. She’d invited him just to get him to stop. 

Sara and Tommy looked over the grill, Felicity and Ray were setting up a picnic table, and everyone else was throwing a frisbee around. 

“I just friended you. Do you think you’re going to confirm or ignore?” Sara asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh, I’m going to confirm,” Tommy answered with a nod. “Yeah, look at you. Of course.” 

Sara rolled her eyes, but gave him a smile nonetheless. She didn’t know if he was being honest, but she would take that compliment. 

Oliver looked over to the picnic table, where Felicity and Ray were setting it up. He felt something stir within him at the sight, but didn’t want to put too much thought into it. Before he could think any better of it, he sent her a text. 

**_He has really small hands._ **

Oliver heard her phone go off, and stared at her, gauging her reaction. She made eye contact with him, and gave him a confused expression. 

A few minutes later, Felicity asked him to follow her and they found themselves walking through a trail in the park. 

“What was that?” she asked, breaking the silence they had fallen into. 

“What?” He  _ knew _ what she was asking, but he wasn’t going to acknowledge it.

“Were you being jealous?” 

He scoffed. “Of that guy? 

Felicity stopped walking and put her hand on his chest, stopping him in his tracks as well. “Look, even if I were to like him, it doesn’t change what we’re doing.” 

He tried to mask the pang of hurt he felt, so he decided to tease her, grinning and hoping it didn’t come out like a grimace. “Ah, so you do like him?”

But it did nothing to lighten up her serious mood. “Oliver… I’m not yours,” she said softly. 

And wasn’t that the truth. He didn’t want to delve too deep into why that caused him to be sad. “No, of course not.” He cleared his throat. “Why--why would I think that?” 

Felicity tilted her head and stared at him for a couple of seconds, before she nodded and they resumed their walk. 

He tried not to think about the sour taste it left in him for the rest of the day.

__________

Oliver continued to watch Felicity and Ray’s interactions, attempting to be inconspicuous. But, after Tommy pulled him aside and asked him about it, he figured he wasn’t doing that great of a job. If Felicity was Ray’s friend, Oliver thought he could try to befriend him as well. For her sake, not his. Because Ray looked like a grade a douche. Which was how he found himself helping Ray load up his car with stuff from the barbeque. 

Oliver dropped the box of things on the ground by the car. “Wow, a Tesla. That’s a nice car.” 

Ray nodded. “Yeah. What do you drive?” 

Oliver pointed towards his grey Porsche. 

Ray gave him a snide remark. “Oh, I actually paid for mine. I didn’t take it from my parents.” 

Oliver’s face scrunched up. He wasn’t quite sure how to take that. He scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah, I paid for mine, too.” He wasn’t going to add that it was purchased with his trust fund. Ray definitely didn’t need to know  _ that _ . He began to size Ray up.  _ So much for trying to be friends with him _ , he thought to himself. “You’re a big guy. You work out?” 

“I row,” he answered, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Oliver’s eyebrows rose. “Like a boat?” 

“I rowed crew at Harvard.” 

“Oh, Harvard.” He grinned. “What were you, a cocksmen? What they say?” 

“Cocksen.” Ray let out a breath. “You know I get it right? That you’re sleeping with Felicity.” 

That caught him off guard. “I’m what?” 

Ray spoke slowly. “You and Felicity. You have sex sometimes. I get it. She’s tired. She calls you up. You come over. You have sex with her in, I guess, ten minutes. You think that’s going to last?” 

That comment threw Oliver off more than he would have expected. He furrowed his brows. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Ray cocked his head. “Sure you do. And that’s fine. For now. But you should just know that I’m going to be there, right next to her everyday. Using big words. Changing the world. Then, when she’s done having her fun with you, she’s going to come running to me. Because I’m a grown up and I have a real job. I’m the CEO of a billion dollar company. I can actually take care of her, you know. I’m the guy she marries Oliver. You’re the guy she fucked in her office a few times.” 

Oliver felt put down, but he wasn’t going to sit here and continue to listen to Ray. With a shake of his head he turned around and walked back towards the group to say his good-byes. He didn’t feel like sticking around much longer. 

__________

Oliver opened the door his and Tommy’s place. He let out a breath of relief at finally being home after an exhausting day. He and Shado had gone through hours of interviews for new waiters and a bartender. But, it had been fruitless. They hadn’t been able to find anyone that fit what they wanted. Whom they believed to represent the club. 

“Oh, you’re home.” 

He found Tommy laying on the couch, with his feet on the coffee table, playing on his phone. He dropped his keys on the table next to the door, and picked up the stack of mail, looking for anything important. He came across the documents he had shared with his father weeks ago. 

“Hey, what are these doing here?” he asked Tommy, pointing to the documents. 

“Oh, they’re the expansion plans you gave your dad. He brought them over and asked me to give them to you.” 

“He did?” 

“Yeah, he wanted to make sure that you got them. He said he liked them a lot and thought it could really work out.” 

A sense of accomplishment went through him. His dad was a well known and respected business man. The fact that he thought Oliver had created something good, had him smiling. Oliver smiled and walked to his room, ready to read his father’s notes and develop them further. 

Things were definitely looking up. 

__________

Before he could talk himself out of it, Oliver knocked on Slade’s door. He had finally built up the courage to him about the plans he had been developing. Having gotten the okay from his dad that they were good plans, he had felt like he was doing something well. It was a feeling that he hadn’t felt much growing up. 

He could hear Slade speaking loudly behind the door, and from the sounds of it, it wasn’t going well. He decided to knock on the door again, but it opened while he had his fist in the air. 

Slade had his phone to his ear and before Oliver could even utter a single word, he shook his head and said, “Sorry kid, I have to go fix an issue with our liquor license. Can you look after the place while I’m out?” 

Although he felt disappointed, he could only answer, “Yeah, yeah. No problem. I got it.” 

“Thank you.” Slade continued yelling into his phone, no doubt grinding into whoever had screwed up, and walked past Oliver. 

Oliver let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. 

“Hey,” Shado called out to him. “Don’t stress out too much about him. I’m sure you’ll be able to talk to him soon. He’s just been swamped with things lately.” She lay a hand on his shoulder for support. 

Shado had taken him under her wing when he’d first started working at the club. She had shown him the ropes and they had easily struck up a friendship. Shado and Slade had been together for the better part of a year. He had been happy for them when they had told him, because they were both two of his good friends. He was glad they had found happiness together. 

“What do you have there?” Shado asked, nodding towards the papers in his hands. 

“Oh, I’ve been coming up with some plans to make ordering more efficient.” 

He handed the plans to her, and she began reading through them. 

“Oliver, these are great ideas.” She smiled up at him. “You should definitely show Slade. He’ll love them. I can see him getting behind something like this. There may be a partner in you yet.” She handed the plans back to him, giving him a wink, before walking off. 

Oliver smiled. “Thanks.” 

Partner. That was definitely something he would enjoy. It was something he would be proud of. And, there was just one person who came to mind when thinking about sharing his ideas. 

__________

Felicity quickly grabbed her stuff and hurried out of her office, heading for a meeting she was currently running late for. She was interrupted as soon as she stepped outside her office door. 

“Felicity! Felicity!” 

She turned to find Iris running up to her. 

“Hey, Iris. What’s going on? What are you doing here?” She checked the time on her phone.  _ Three minutes late. _ The board members were not going to be happy with her. 

“I have really  _ good _ news,” Iris said. 

“What is it? I’m running late for--” 

“Okay, well it happened after the picnic," Iris interrupted, "but I wanted to tell you in person.” Iris flashed her left hand, spotting a shiny new ring on her ring finger. 

Felicity was positive her eyes had bulged out. “Oh, my God.” 

“I’m getting married!” Iris clapped her hands, then began jumping around. “I’m getting married!” 

“You’re getting married,” Felicity whispered numbly. 

It was nothing short than shocking. 

Iris hugged Felicity. She spoke a little more softly, “I’m getting married.” 

She returned the hug and glanced at her phone again.  _ Eight minutes late.  _ Well, she probably wouldn’t be attending the meeting after this bombshell. She turned to look at her EA Gerry. “Um, Gerry, I’m going to have to skip today’s meeting. And, maybe the rest of my day. Will you please let Mr. Palmer know?” 

He nodded and responded promptly. “Sure thing Ms. Smoak.” 

Felicity nodded back, because she found herself unable to fully comprehend the fact one of her oldest friends--whom she considered a sister--was getting married. And that was something she didn’t quite know how to deal with. 

_________

Felicity sat outside on a courtyard bench listening to Iris talk, but was still having a difficult time processing the fact she was now engaged. 

“Your mom was so excited,” Iris enthused. “She started crying a lot.” 

Iris had really taken onto Donna when she was younger. Donna had become the mom Iris had desperately needed and Joe had become the dad Felicity had missed out on. They had grown up closely together, and Felicity had always felt like Iris’ older sister, even though they were the same age. Which had to do with why she was wigging out so much. Iris was getting ready to settle down--which took a lot of maturity--and Felicity still struggled with making sure she ate breakfast in the morning.  

Felicity was only half listening, absentmindedly nodding her head with what Iris was saying. 

“She’s going to fly up with Q and help me shop for my dress.” 

_ That  _ caught Felicity off guard. Her eyes snapped to Iris’. “With who? Q? Who’s Q?” 

Iris’ face fell. “Oh, crap.” She began to look everywhere, except Felicity’s eyes. 

“Iris, who’s Q?” she demanded. 

Iris appeared embarrassed. “He’s your mom’s friend. I wasn’t suppose to tell you about him, yet. Sorry.” 

Felicity felt shock run through her. “She has a boyfriend named Q? What name is that? Wait,  _ Quentin?! _ They’re actually dating? Why didn’t she tell me about him? I’m… I’m her daughter.” 

Felicity’s mom had never had a serious relationship while she was growing up. It was never anything more than flings for her, and she always made sure to never introduce them to Felicity. Felicity knew it was her mom’s way of protecting her from possible attachment, especially when Donna knew they weren’t going to be around long. And, Felicity was always thankful for that, because if there was one thing Donna was, it was a damn good mother who was always there for her. She made sure Felicity never wanted for anything, even if they didn’t enjoy the same things, her mom was always there. Her mom always made sure she had everything she needed, to help her develop into the brilliant person she had become. So the fact that her mom was now in a relationship, and hadn’t told her anything about it, really threw her off. Had they really grown that far apart? Was it  _ her _ fault? 

Iris fidgeted with her hands. “Well, Felicity, you’re so good at being alone. Donna isn’t like that. You know that. I know you know that. She just never introduced anyone to you, because she didn’t want you to go through what you went through with your dad. And, she doesn’t like to bother you with stuff. Your relationship has always been strained at best. I’m sure she just didn’t want to bother you with trivial things.”  

Felicity didn’t want to continue with the change in conversation. She cleared her throat and held onto one of Iris’ hands with her own. “Look Iris, you’re still young. Are you really sure that it’s the right time?” 

Iris smiled brightly at her. “I love him.” 

That was the only answer that Felicity needed to accept. “Okay,” she nodded, “okay.” 


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple days late, but here nonetheless. Hope you enjoy!

 

Felicity didn’t know if there was a more miserable moment to being a woman than being on her period. She also had a love/hate relationship with the fact she, Sara, and Caitlin were all on the same cycle, because they were living together. 

Felicity groaned into her pillow as another cramp shot pain through her. She snuggled deeper in the couch she was laying on. Caitlin was sitting across from her on the other couch and Sara was kindly making them all tea. 

Sara handed a cup to Felicity and another to Caitlin. “Teas for your ‘ginas,” she sing-songed. 

“Thank you,” Felicity said. “Iris is getting married. She’s like my little sister.” Felicity was still in shock of Iris’ news and found herself a little emotional about it, but she was attributing that to the fact she was on her period right now. Not the fact itself. 

“ _ Yes, _ ” Sara snapped, “ _ We know! _ ”  

Curtis spoke up from where he was laying on the floor, curling into a pillow, in a monotone voice, “We heard.” 

“Oh,  _ shut up _ , Felicity,” Caitlin said after taking a sip from her tea. 

Sara raised an eyebrow at Caitlin. “Did you take your Midol?” 

Caitlin narrowed her eyes. “Leave me alone.” 

“You leave me alone.” 

“I love it when we’re all on the same cycle! We all get to be passive aggressive and fight,” Curtis exclaimed. 

Sara walked over to him. “You don’t even have a uterus!” 

The apartment intercom buzzer went off announcing a visitor. 

“Who is that?” Caitlin asked skeptically. 

Sara pushed the button on the intercom. “Hello?” 

A recognizable voice came through it. “Hi, it’s Oliver.” 

Felicity felt dread overcome her at his voice. Sara looked at her in question. She shook her head, whispering a small “no,” because she  _ did not _ want Oliver to see her like this. 

“Are you kidding me?!” Caitlin said angrily. 

Sara took in the general mood and spoke into the intercom again. “Go away.” 

There wasn’t anything that would make them allow him in during this time. 

“I’ve got cupcakes.” 

_ Except that.  _

Sara buzzed him in, and then opened the door, standing behind it, waiting for him to arrive. Felicity covered herself with her blanket, and attempted to shrink herself into the couch even more, hoping it would swallow her whole. But, she did want a cupcake. 

Oliver walked into the apartment greeting everyone with a smile. “Hey, guys.” 

Felicity locked eyes with him. “I told you not to come. It’s not safe in here.” She shook her head at him. 

Sara ran up to him. “Do you think you have red velvet in there?” 

Oliver grinned. “I might have one or two.” He lay the box of donuts on the coffee table in between the two couches and opened it up for everyone to see the cupcakes he had brought. “Let’s take a look and see what we have here.” 

Caitlin and Sara crowded around Oliver and the box on the table, but Felicity stayed in place. She was not ecstatic about him showing up, but there were cupcakes. Cupcakes always won.  

Curtis reached out a hand. “Give me the chocolate one. Now.” 

Oliver handed it to him, and then sat down on the couch by Felicity’s feet. “Oh, I see what’s going on. You’re all on the same cycle. This is very exciting. Your uterine walls will be shedding for the next three to five days.” He smiled, proud of himself. 

Caitlin snorted around her cupcake. “Nice memorization. Did you Google that?” 

Oliver smiled wider. “I might have.” 

Sara fell on the floor dramatically. “It’s like a crime scene in my pants.” 

Oliver pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Felicity. “I also made you this to sooth your flow.” 

Felicity took the CD in her hands, looking it over, not fully able comprehend the fact that Oliver had made this for her. She didn’t think a guy had ever done that for her. She stared at him in awe. “It’s a mix.” 

Sara scooted closer to her to read the titles. “ _ Even Flow. Red Red Wine. _ ” 

Caitlin also came to sit next to her. “ _ Sunday, Bloody, Sunday. _ ” 

Felicity smirked. “Oliver, did you make me a period mix?” 

He cheekily replied with a shrug. 

“That’s so romantic,” Curtis said, holding a hand on his chest. 

Felicity only laughed in response. It was sweet, but she  _ definitely _ didn’t want to think about it being romantic.

Sara continued reading. “Frank Sinatra.  _ I’ve Got the World on a String _ .” 

Felicity laughed louder, folding her face into the pillow to cover some of her giggles. 

“It’s a classic!” Oliver argued. 

__________

Felicity woke up the next morning feeling completely disoriented. The last thing she remembered from last night was listening to her period mix and Oliver trying to feed her that stupid chicken noodle soup. 

_ Oliver! _

He was currently snuggled up behind her with an arm wrapped around her stomach, making their current position look very much like spooning. They were spooning. 

Felicity felt dread at the realization. “Aw, shit. Oh, Oliver.” She tried to move away from Oliver, attempting to remove his hand off of her. “Oliver, Oliver.” 

“What?” Oliver replied groggily. 

Felicity was finally able to remove his hand. “We fell asleep. We were spooning.” She sat up, looking around her room. The sun appeared to be high up in the sky, meaning it was late morning. She picked up her phone from her nightstand, confirming her suspicions. She couldn’t remember the last time she had allowed herself to sleep in that late. 

“We were?” Oliver asked. 

“Yeah, we were spooning. With our clothes on. Which is like ten times worse.” 

Oliver sat up as well. “Fully clothed spoon. Oh no,” he said in mock horror. 

But, Felicity didn’t catch it. She only nodded her head. “What are we going to do?” 

Oliver looked at her. “About what?” 

Felicity pursed her lips and looked up at the ceiling. “Maybe we should stop for a while.” She couldn’t look him in the eye while suggesting her idea. 

This arrangement was quickly becoming very relationship like and that was the last thing she needed. 

However, it seemed to catch Oliver off guard. “Stop?” he asked, as if he wasn’t comprehending what she was saying. 

Still refusing to look at him, she continued. “Yeah. Go, go hook up with someone else.” 

Oliver blinked a couple of times. “Are you serious?” 

Finally she looked at him. “Yeah, go to the nearest bar or whatever and have sex with some random girl. I’m sure it won’t be difficult. You’re Oliver Queen.” She wrung her hands in front of her. “I just think that we need a break from each other. It’s nothing personal.” She shrugged.

“You’re joking?” 

Felicity shook her head. “No.” 

“So you just want me to go hook up with some random girl, like a sexual thing.” 

“Yes!” But even as she spoke, something inside her told her she should’ve kept quiet. “And, I’ll go hook up with someone too.” She knew she wouldn’t. 

Oliver began shaking his head. 

Felicity wouldn’t give in though. “This will be good for us. Just watch.” 

“All right, fine. If you want this, I’ll do it.” 

He looked at her for a few seconds, defeated, then gathered his shoes and walked out of her room without looking back. Felicity didn’t know if she felt any better. 

__________

_ Two Weeks Later  _

Oliver grabbed two more beers out of the fridge and brought them over to Tommy and John, where they were watching a baseball game. 

“She told me to sleep with someone else. I haven’t spoken to her in a couple of weeks and I don’t know what to do with that.” Sitting down on the couch, he took a swig of his beer. 

He looked over at Dig, but he only got a shrug in return. 

“Oliver,” Tommy began, “You are living every man’s dream right now. Why are you complaining?” 

Dig raised his eyebrows at Tommy and crossed his arms, beer still in one hand. 

Tommy ignored Dig and continued. “In ten years, you’ll be married and you’ll be having boring, missionary sex with your wife. Nothing else. Take advantage of this opportunity while you still can!” 

Dig let out a sigh and shook his head. “I can assure you, being married does not amount to ‘boring, missionary sex.’” 

“Yeah, but you’ve been married twice. To the same woman.” 

Tommy had a point there. Diggle had gotten married to his wife, Lyla, after a quick whirlwind romance. A short time later, they found they had more arguments than agreements in their marriage and decided it was easier to call it quits. However, after a few years of being divorced, they fell into contact again, and decided to give it another try. And now, they were going strong and expecting a baby in a few months. 

“I’m not going to lie, we had our problems before, but we’re doing better now. This time around we’re not going to throw in the towel so quickly.” 

Oliver nodded his head in acknowledgement. 

Tommy ignored Dig and looked at Oliver, pointing his finger at him. “Oliver, just have fun. If the chance comes up, just go for it.” 

Oliver looked over at Dig for confirmation. Dig had always been his conscious, helping him out in situations where he didn’t know what to do. And right now, he didn’t know what to do. He was enjoying sleeping with Felicity and he didn’t want to sleep with anyone else. 

Dig let out a breath. “Do what you gotta do.” 

__________

“Yeah, yeah. Okay, sounds like we’re good to go, then. Bye.” 

Felicity hung up the phone and leaned her head back on the headrest of her chair, closing her eyes. It was Friday afternoon and Palmer Tech’s gala was tomorrow evening. She had just finished finalizing the menu with the caterers, but she was wiped out from the day’s last minute details. She had put in a crazy amount of hours this week in making sure that everything was ready for tomorrow. The only good thing that had come from her being extremely busy, was that she didn’t have time to think about the fact she hadn’t spoken to Oliver in two weeks. Two very long weeks. She hadn’t thought she would miss him as much as she had. It wasn’t just the sex she found herself missing. She missed texting him randomly when she came across something funny. Like a cat video. She knew he wasn’t as interested in them, but he still humoured her. 

A knock at her door made her open her eyes, where she found Curtis walking in with two coffees. 

“Hey, just wanted to let you know set up is looking good downstairs and bring you coffee.” 

“Awesome,” she said with a smile. 

Curtis sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk, handing her a cup. “So, are you going to invite Oliver to the gala tomorrow night?” 

Felicity took a sip of coffee before answering. “Actually, Oliver and I have decided to take a break… while we sleep with other people.” 

Curtis’ eyebrows raised. “Really?” He took a sip of his coffee. 

“Yeah, we decided it would be better for our arrangement.” 

“Um, okay. In that case, we can go together. However, I am thinking about asking this guy to come.” 

If Felicity didn’t know any better, she would say he was blushing. 

“Who is he?” she asked, leaning her elbows on her desk, hands propping up her chin. 

Curtis smiled shyly. “He’s this guy that goes to the coffee shop I go to. I’m pretty sure he works in a medical profession… or he just likes wearing scrubs all the time.” 

Felicity pointed at their cups and Curtis nodded in confirmation. 

“Was that the real reason you got me coffee?” 

Curtis laughed. “No, no. Well, a little. I knew you needed the caffeine, and well, why not take the chance to see if he would be there? We’ve talked a few times, but nothing more really. I can tell that there’s something there, but I don’t know.”  

“Well, you should definitely invite him. I can invite Caitlin to come along with me. I’m sure she’d enjoy a night out.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

__________

Felicity noticed Sara walking arm in arm with Tommy into the gala, and it made her immediately think about Oliver. She could hear Caitlin telling her something, but she couldn’t concentrate. A waiter walked by carrying champagne and Felicity grabbed two flutes, downing one in a matter of seconds, then setting it down on a side table. Already starting on the second flute, she realized she really didn’t care if she got completely drunk in front of her colleagues. 

However, Caitlin did. “Whoa, Felicity. Maybe you should slow down a bit.” 

Felicity gave a shrug in response. Felicity looked around the room, not really sure who she was trying to find, when Dr. Harrison Wells came into view. 

Felicity had admired Harrison Wells from a young age. And, she was a little jealous at the fact Caitlin had worked closely with him, during her internship at STAR Labs. 

Felicity looked at Caitlin. “I’m going to go talk to Dr. Wells.” 

Caitlin shook her head. “No, Felicity. I don’t think right now is the best time for you to do that. Think about your career.” 

Felicity nodded her head, not listening to Caitlin. “I’m going to go talk to him.” She could say it was liquid courage, because there was a lot of alcohol coursing through her bloodstream. Especially since she hadn’t had a whole lot to eat, in order to fit into the tiny black dress she was wearing. She walked off towards where Dr. Wells was talking with other colleagues. 

She greeted him, when she reached him. “Hey Dr. Wells. I’m Felicity Smoak. VP at Palmer Tech.” She gestured at the building around her with her hands. “I was hoping to run into you tonight, so I could talk to you. You’ve always been a huge inspiration for me.” She went to lay a hand on his forearm and stumbled a bit, losing her balance momentarily. She looked up at him embarrassed, wishing the ground could swallow her whole. 

Dr. Wells looked around at group. “Does anyone need a drink?” 

“Patron!” she said, with a small fist pump, not being able to think of anything better to say and feeling incredibly awkward. Harrison Wells probably thought she was an alcoholic. Which, after tonight, she might become one to deal with the embarrassment. She was the freaking VP of the company. She was a representation of it, and she was monumentally screwing it up! 

She looked over to where she had left Caitlin, finding her shaking her head at her. Felicity let out a breath. This night had not been going how she had thought it would.  _ At all _ . 

__________ 

Oliver walked back into the VIP area of the club. He handed Carrie a drink as he sat down next to her. He had been walking around downstairs, making sure everything was running smoothly and that all of the workers were doing their job, when he had bumped into her. Feeling relief at finding a familiar face in the crowd, Oliver had asked her up into the VIP area upstairs, to talk. 

They had been talking about random things, and Oliver found himself enjoying the company. 

One of the waitresses, Helena, caught his attention. “Oh, hey Oliver. What are you doing here tonight? You’re usually not in.”

“I just thought I’d come in and see how the club was doing.” He smiled, attempting to truly want to be at work on his night off. In reality, he was attempting to do what Felicity had told him. He was trying to pick up a random girl, but so far, he hadn’t found anyone that interested him. Which was why had had stuck like glue to Carrie, once he’d seen her. Because she was a friend that he had no interest in romantically. 

Helena nodded, accepting his answer. “Who’s this?” she asked, motioning to his companion. 

“This is Carrie. She’s one of the waitresses at Dig’s retaurant. I ran into her downstairs and through she might want to hang out up here.” 

“That was really nice of you.” She cocked her head and stuck out a hand to Carrie, putting her tray underneath her other arm. “Hi, I’m Helena.” 

Carrie took her hand in her own and shook it with a bright smile. “I’m Carrie.” 

Oliver could feel something passing between the two of them, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to comment on it. “Uh, do you want to sit down?” It felt like the natural thing to ask. 

Helena shook her head. “Oh, no. I don’t know. I’m working right now.” 

“Oh, come on. Sit down for just a second.” Carrie patted the spot next to her. 

Oliver noticed Helena’s eyes light up at that. He felt his night was about to get interesting. “Yeah, yeah. Sit down.” 

Instead of sitting down next to Carrie, she moved to sit on the other side of Oliver, so they were both on each side of him. He wondered if she’d done that, because she wanted him as a safety net.

Carrie put her elbows on her knees, her head on her hands. She looked at Helena intensely. “You’re really pretty. How do you get your hair to do that?” She reached out her hand across Oliver, to touch Helena’s sleek black hair. 

Helena looked down, and even in the awful club lighting, Oliver could see her blushing.  _ What is going on?, _ he thought. He couldn’t think of a single moment in his life where this had occurred. 

Helena responded. “Um, I use this type of organic shampoo. It does wonders for my hair.” She ran a hand from her roots to where Carrie’s hand still was grasping strands. Their hands touched momentarily, before Helena pulled back. Still blushing. 

Carrie giggled. “I really like you. A lot.” 

Helena looked at her. “You do?” 

“Yeah. I know we just met, but there’s something about you.” 

Oliver could only look between the two of them. He felt the tension rise between the two, and as time passed, Helena and Carrie began to become overly friendly with each other. They kept touching each other, reaching across Oliver. Oliver returned from the bar for a drink, and spit it out upon seeing Helena and Carrie making out. He’d seen it coming, but he still couldn’t quite believe it. Oliver stood there watching them. He knew it was probably inappropriate, but he couldn’t stop himself. 

They pulled apart and Helena spoke in breathy whisper, “We should really capture this moment.” 

At that moment, an idea popped into Oliver’s head causing a grin to appear on his face. “Yeah, let's capture this moment.” He sat down in between them again, and handed his phone to someone who was sitting close by in the VIP area. “Hey, can you take a picture of us?”

The guy took the picture, then handed the phone back. Oliver took one look at it, deeming it perfect for what he had in mind. Without thinking further about it, he sent the picture to Felicity. He hoped seeing it would cause her to regret suggesting they had sex with other people. 

__________

Felicity looked around the room again. She had made a fool of herself in front of one of the most honorable scientists in the field. She had stuck to herself, hoping no one would come and talk to her, for fear that she would embarrass herself further. Her phone went off, and she quickly took it out of her clutch. If her heart skipped a beat when she saw the text was from Oliver, well, she’d never admit that. However, the feeling of joy went straight down the drain when she opened up and saw it was a picture of Oliver, with two women all over him. She felt some emotion trying to make it’s way up, but she didn’t really know what it was. Or rather, she didn’t want it acknowledge what it was.

“Hey, Felicity. How’s it going? Can I get you a drink?” 

Felicity had been so wrapped up in the picture, that she hadn’t noticed Ray walk up to her. She looked at him, and before she could think any better of it, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She deepened the kiss for a couple of seconds, before pulling apart. 

She knew she should’ve thought of her next words more carefully. But, in that moment, she just didn’t care. If Oliver was going to sleep with those skanks, then she would get laid too. 

She met Ray’s eyes and gave him, what she hoped was, a suggestive look. “Do you want to get out of here?” 

Ray’s eyes widened in understanding, and what looked like shock. “Uh, yeah.” He nodded. “Let me just get my car.” He walked away in a hurried pace towards the entrance of Palmer Tech. 

Felicity turned catching Tommy and Sara dancing, laughter falling from their lips. The sight of them brought a longing to her that she tried very hard to ignore. It brought up the image of Oliver. His smile. She missed his smile. The one that he seemed to have just for her. 

Her phone rang and she quickly answered it, without even looking to see who it was. “Listen, do not sleep with one of those girls. They don’t look like nice girls, and you deserve better.” 

There was a pause before the person on the other side of the line spoke. “What? Felicity, is that you?” 

Felicity made a face at the realization that it wasn’t Oliver on the phone, but instead Iris. “Uh, oh, Iris. Hi.” She slumped down at a nearby chair. 

“Hi. What are you doing? Where are you?” 

“I’m just… I’m just finishing up some stuff at the gala for work.” 

“Okay. I wanted to make sure you were still coming tomorrow, but it sounds like you might be a hungover,” she chuckled. 

Felicity laughed it off. “I’ll be fine. I’ll be there. Don’t worry about that.” 

Her phone made a sound, alerting her of another incoming call. Looking at it, she saw that it was Oliver. “Oh, hold on. Hold on.” She switched over the call and tried to sound nonchalant.  “Hey, Oliver.” 

“I am following your instructions and I just wanted to let you know.” 

She heard female voices in the background. She was just about to respond when the call ended abruptly. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a few seconds. She didn’t really know what to think of the call. In that moment, she knew she had to get to him. Before something happened that would ruin what they had going. 

Felicity stuffed her phone in her clutch and ran to the lobby. Not noticing him, she passed Ray on the front steps, but he had also missed her. She ran down--or as fast as one could run in four inch heels--hailing a cab once she got to the bottom. 

She got in and closed the door. “Take me to Oliver’s place!” 

The driver looked at her for a couple of seconds without saying anything. “Okay, where is that?” 

Felicity rolled her eyes, not understanding  _ why _ he didn’t know. “Where Oliver lives!” 

The driver stared at her again. “I don’t really--” 

“Just go!” she interrupted him. 

The driver threw his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay.” 

___________

Oliver poured drinks for Carrie, Helena, and himself. He brought them over to the coffee table in front of where Carrie and Helena were heavily making out on the couch. They were still going at it, and he was starting to believe they had more stamina than him. At which he felt some jealousy, if he was honest. He sat down on the edge of the coffee table. Helena had her dressed bunched down to her waist, leaving her bra exposed, and Carrie was down to her bra and panties. 

He took a sip of his vodka and looked at the two of them. He knew he wouldn’t be sleeping with either of them. He didn’t want them. He wanted Felicity. And, if he wasn’t going to have her, then he wouldn’t be with anyone else. In an odd way, Oliver felt somewhat glad he was able to bring them together--if they were meant to be. He had tried to talk to them, but after the first few attempts, they had told him to just shut up. 

He had just taken another drink when there was a loud knock at the door. 

“Oliver! Oliver Queen!” 

Felicity’s loud voice was easily distinguishable and he smiled at the fact she had shown up. 

Oliver began to get up, when Carrie and Helena pulled him back down. He didn’t know why. He thought he’d made it clear he didn’t want anything with them and they hadn’t paid much attention to him earlier. He had just wanted to make Felicity jealous. Which, he could admit was childish, but it had the result he wanted. He tried to break away from them, while Felicity continued to knock, but it was proving to be difficult. 

Carrie pulled at his hair, while asking, “Where are you going?” 

Helena attempted to unbutton his dress shirt, causing some of them to scatter throughout the floor. “Yeah, stay right here.” 

Apparently he hadn’t been clear enough. “I’m sorry, I have to…” He stood up forcefully and walked away from them, towards the door, without taking a look at his appearance. 

He opened the door to find Felicity with her hand raised, about to knock yet again. He stepped outside and closed the door, not wanting her to see what was happening inside, incase she got the wrong idea. 

Felicity looked him up and down before asking, “What are--what are you doing?” 

“Hey Felicity,” he said a little too cheerfully. But he didn’t care. He was excited to see her.  _ Finally _ . 

Suddenly, the front door opened and Helena stepped out. “Hey, what’s going on?” 

Oliver cleared his throat. “This is Helena.” 

He felt the mood shift and he didn’t know if it could get more awkward than this. Maybe he shouldn’t have let them convince him to come over to his house. 

Helena waved at Felicity. “Hey, I’m Helena.” 

Felicity scoffed. “Oh, good for you,” she congratulated Oliver--but her tone was anything but congratulatory. 

Apparently, Oliver had spoken too soon about it being very awkward, because the door opened again, with Carrie coming out. Still only wearing her underwear. 

“Oliver,” Carrie questioned, then caught sight of Felicity. “Oh.” 

“Oh, this is great,” Felicity said incredulously. “You are such an overachiever.” 

“Felicity,” he began, trying to explain what was happening. 

He didn’t want her to think that he was going to sleep with them, because he  _ wasn’t _ . That had never been the plan. But, Carrie spoke first. 

“We don’t need her. Make her leave.” 

Felicity laughed. “ _ No, _ you leave,” she demanded, pointing at Carrie and Helena. 

Carrie glared at Felicity. “Are you trying to make us leave?” 

Felicity walked up to stand toe to toe with Carrie. “You look like a pumpkin, bitch!” 

“What?!” Carrie asked, enraged by the comment. 

Faster than he could think, Felicity moved around all of them and ran inside the house, shutting the door. This was definitely  _ not _ how he had expected his night to go. 

He let out a breath, then opened the door. “It’s probably best if you two leave. I haven’t seen her like this.” He walked in slowly, uncertain of what he would find. “You should probably stick close. I know she’s small, but she can pack a mean punch.” He’d been on the end of one a few times.

He saw movement to his left before Felicity jumped out wielding a bow--his bow--in her hand above her head. She yelled and ran towards the two girls, who in turn screamed. Oliver barely managed to grab her by the waist, before she could hit them. He kept her close to him, while she tried to get out of his grasp. 

Carrie and Helena gathered their things fast, and took off towards the door. Oliver offered a small apology, but they didn’t seem to care. Once they were both out the door, he put Felicity on the ground, thinking it was safe. However, as soon as he let her go, she ran towards the door. Oliver chased after her. She opened the door, intent on going after them again, which in turn caused the two women to scream in terror, where they were waiting by the elevator. Oliver caught her again, and tried to keep her there. 

He fought with her, trying to pull her back inside the loft, but she kept holding onto the doorframe. 

“Ring, ring. It’s the pumpkin patch! They want their pumpkins back!” 

“We don’t look like pumpkins!” Carrie called out, while she and Helena loaded onto the elevator. 

When the doors finally closed, Oliver was able to get Felicity inside the apartment. He let go of her and closed the door, releasing a breath. 

As soon as he turned around, she pounced on him, pulling him in for a greedy kiss, which he returned happily. It was the first time in what seemed like so long. She guided him to the couch where she pushed him down. 

“Now,” she began as she straddled him, grinding her hips on his, “I’m going to fucking ride you like you’ve never been ridden before. And, you’re going to make me come so hard, that I’ll forget all about those two bitches you brought here.” 

That was a plan he could definitely agree with. 

_________

After a couple of more rounds, Oliver and Felicity laid on his bed, staring at each other. 

“You’re crazy,” Oliver told her with a smile. 

“Don’t do that. Don’t disappear on me again.” 

“You sent me away,” Oliver protested. 

“Don’t listen to me. You shouldn’t listen to me.” 

“Fine. I won’t.” 

Oliver leaned in and kissed her. He kissed her with ardor, that Felicity returned. They went for another round, but this time it was softer, sweeter. 

Oliver knew that his feelings for Felicity were starting to grow. He was falling for her. Hard. But, he didn’t know what to do about it. Because Felicity had made it very clear that she didn’t want that. He wanted to have more with her, but he didn’t know how to go about it. 

He was at a loss, but he wouldn’t give her up for anything. So with her in his arms, he pushed those feelings down, wanting to just live in the moment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Oliver. :( 
> 
> The part where Felicity kicks them out is one of the funniest in the movie. If you're interested, he's the link to the [ scene.](https://youtu.be/Ju0Yrqbc1L0)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late again, but here nonetheless. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

It was Oliver’s birthday and he couldn’t think a better way to spend his morning than watching a game on TV with Tommy, when his phone rang. He picked up his phone, staring at the screen for a few seconds. His dad was calling and he had not been expecting it. Confused, he answered the call. 

“Hello?” 

_ “Hello son! I wanted to call you to wish you a happy birthday!” _

“Uh, thanks dad.” 

_ “So, I was thinking… why don’t we go out to dinner. You can come out with Isabel and myself.”  _

“What? Why would I do that?” 

_ “Because it’s your birthday and we want to celebrate with you.”  _

“What?”  _ Was he serious? _

_ “Come to Table Salt at seven. Don’t be late!” _

He hung up the phone before Oliver could object. He looked at the phone in his hands and asked, “What just happened?” 

“What?” Tommy asked, taking a sip of his coffee. 

Oliver continued to stare at his phone. My dad just invited me out to dinner with Isabel.” 

“Ouch, that’s gotta hurt. You should just invite Felicity. It’ll still be awkward, but she can make it better.” 

He was right. He would ask Felicity. “Yeah, I’m going to go call her.” 

He stood up from the couch and headed towards his room, dialing her phone number. She picked up on the second ring. 

_ “Hi.” _

He couldn’t help himself from smiling at the sound of her voice. “What are you doing tonight?” 

_ “Umm… I don’t know. I was thinking about heading about heading to the office for a bit.” _

“It’s my birthday tonight and my dad just invited me out to dinner with him and Isabel, and--”

_ “Wait?! Hold on... it’s your birthday?” _

He paused. “Uh, yeah.” 

_ “Why didn’t you tell me?”  _

“It never came up.” 

_ “Seriously?” _

“Yeah.” 

She was quiet for a few seconds, but he could still hear her breathing, so he knew she was still on the line. 

_ “Okay, so your dad invited you out to dinner with Isabel and himself?” _

“Yes, and I need you to go with me, so I don’t gouge my eyes out.” 

She was silent for a few seconds.  _ “Okay.” _

She had said it so softly that he wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly. “Yeah?”

She spoke louder.  _ “Yes, I’ll go with you.” _

“Thank you, Felicity. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.” 

_ “Um, why don’t we just meet there?” _

“Yeah, okay. I’ll meet you outside Table Salt at seven.” 

He ended the call after she agreed, but stared at his phone a little longer. He didn’t want to admit that it hurt him a little that she didn’t want him to pick her up. 

_________

Oliver and Felicity sat across from Robert and Isabel at the table, with no one talking. This was definitely one of the most awkward experiences in Felicity’s life. Which included that one time Oliver asked if he could finger her when they were teenagers. She took another sip of her drink, hoping she would start feeling a buzz soon. She stared at Oliver, who was staring at his father and Isabel. Tension was rolling off of him, and Felicity felt a pang of sadness for him. 

“Happy birthday Oliver!” Robert said, raising a glass, putting an end to the silence. 

Felicity picked up her glass in signs of cheer, only because it meant she could take another drink. 

“So,” Robert continued, “How are you doing?” he asked Oliver. 

“Perfect dad,” he said, his tone of voice devoid of any emotion. “Thank you for asking.” 

Robert motioned between Felicity and Oliver with his hand. “How long have you two been together?” 

If she hadn’t been drinking, it was possible the the next words out of her mouth wouldn’t have come out so carelessly. “Oh, we’re not together.” 

Oliver smiled at her and she felt like maybe she had said something good. 

“We’re sex friends.” 

She smiled back. “Yeah, we are.” 

“We’re friends with benefits. Fuck buddies.” 

Robert’s eyes went wide. “Wow, okay.” He laughed. 

Isabel met Oliver’s eyes and said, “This might come out awkward, but just because I’m your ex doesn’t mean you can’t look at me like some kind of mother.” 

“Oh, boy.” Felicity finished off her drink, then signaled to a passing waiter to bring her another one. 

And then Isabel dropped a bomb. “Especially, because your dad and I have been talking about having our own child.” 

“And, we’d like your blessing Oliver,” Robert added. “How do you feel about the two of us having a baby together?” 

Felicity felt her eyes bulge out of her head. She stared at Oliver, trying to figure out what he was thinking. It couldn’t be anything good. He was staring at his father and Isabel in horror. No words were coming out of his mouth. Felicity grabbed his hand under the table in support. She wasn’t even sure he felt her, until she felt the squeeze of his hand. 

She couldn’t let these crazy people continue. It wasn’t good for Oliver. It wasn’t fair to him. “Um, this isn’t really my place. I mean, who am I? I just have sex with your son sometimes. But, there is really no reason for you to bring a child into this world, since you’re both acting like children already. Your actions have been pretty fucked up.” 

Robert only scoffed, taking offense to Felicity. 

“That was uncalled for,” Isabel sneered. 

“Yeah, I’m mean, but you’re fucking crazy. Because given the choice between Oliver and his dad--given the choice between Oliver and  _ anyone _ \--I’d choose Oliver. Every time.” She turned to Oliver. “Do you want to get out of here?” 

“Yes, please.” 

Oliver tossed the napkin from his lap on the table and stood up, with her following suit. 

She walked closer to Robert. “Oh, by the way, it’s the  _ best _ sex of my life.” 

She turned to follow Oliver out. Passing by the waiter with her drink, she grabbed it, taking a large gulp of it, before setting it back down. She threw a “thanks,” as she ran after Oliver, giggling at her braveness. 

__________

They sat and ate their food from a food truck. Not talking. They didn’t really need to. 

When they got up to throw away their garbage, Oliver said, “Hey, thank you for what you did back there.” 

Felicity didn’t say anything, but just locked eyes with him. He glanced at her lips, and he wasn’t able to stop himself from leaning down to kiss her. Her lips were just so kissable. He bit her bottom lip, causing Felicity to giggle. 

“Go out on a date with me,” he whispered. 

Her eyes snapped open to meet his. “I don’t know.” 

“Come on. One date.” 

She began shaking her head. “Why? So I can act perfect all night?” 

“Yeah. I’ll pick you up and we’ll talk about our favorite books and movies. And, I’ll pay for everything. You can reward me with a kiss goodnight, maybe more,” he added with a wink. “Like a real date.” 

Felicity fixed him with a gaze. “Is that really what you want?” 

He nodded. “This Friday.” 

Felicity appeared to contemplate his offer, before surprise filled her expression. “This Friday is Valentine’s Day. No.” 

“We either go big or go home. Come on. Some hearts. Flowers. One date.” 

“Fine,” she sighed. 

“What?” he asked, messing with her. 

She gave him a shy smile. “I’ll go on a date with you.” 

“What?”

“I’ll go on a date with you!” She let out a laugh. “But no flowers, okay.” 

“Okay,” he inclined his head in agreement, still grinning like a little kid. 

_________

 

Oliver waited for Felicity outside of Palmer Tech. She walked out in a short red dress, her hair hanging down her shoulders. She was beautiful. He walked up to her, not being able to wait any longer.

“Hi,” he greeted. 

She smiled at him. “Hi.” 

“I know that you said no flowers so,” he pulled out a box of red pens he’d been hiding behind his back, “I got you these.” 

“Pens?” she asked, laughing. 

Oliver smiled at her. “Yeah, you were chewing on one when I stopped by your office last week. I thought you might want a stack of them, in case you chewed through your supply.”

Felicity laughed even more. “Thanks. That’s really sweet.” She took the box of pens from him. “I’ve had a really tough day, so…”

Oliver nodded. “Right. Let’s get going.” 

_________

 

Out of all the places she would have thought Oliver would have taken her, a mini golf course was definitely not on that list. After paying, they walked across a bridge towards the course. Felicity felt a little odd, but that the same there was a small part of her that was looking forward to this. 

“Full disclosure, I have played before. And, I might be kind of good. Thea used to make me bring her here when she was younger. And, maybe last year, too.” 

Felicity laughed. “That’s great. Well, at least you let me know.” Felicity took in the course. “This is pretty.” 

Oliver agreed with her, “It is pretty.” 

When they arrived at the first hole, he gestured at it with his hand. “Ladies first.” 

Felicity smirked and then stepped forward on the course. “Okay, here goes nothing.” She put the ball and made it in on her first try. 

“Wow,” Oliver said looking between her and the hole. 

They walked over to the second hole. 

“Okay,” Oliver prefaced, “This one is a little more complicated. You’re going to have to bank it off of there.” He pointed with the club in the direction the ball needed to go. 

Felicity hit him with a look. “Oliver, I graduated from MIT.” She putted the ball and again, made it in on her first try. Felicity jumped up laughing, fist pumping. “Yes!” 

Throughout the rest of the game, Felicity continued to make each hole. She gained the attention of other players around and eventually they began following Oliver and her throughout the course. Oliver cheered her on and it felt really good to have him do so. 

She looked up at him, and felt something that she knew she wouldn’t admit. Instead she decided to continue enjoying the night with him. 

_________

Oliver and Felicity sat next to each other at Big Belly Burger, eating burgers and fries, sharing a large chocolate milkshake. 

Felicity grabbed a fry and dipped it into the milkshake. 

“Whoa, what was that?” he asked her. “You can’t dip a fry into the shake. It’s two different flavors.” 

Felicity giggled. “Where’s your sense of adventure Mr. Queen?” 

Hearing her call him that turned him on. “Fine.” He grabbed a fry and dipped it into the shake and ate it. “Wow. This is actually good.” 

Felicity winked at him. “Told you.” 

He stared at her, because he just couldn’t help himself. Everything about her fascinated him. And, in that moment, he knew that he wanted Felicity in his life for a long time. He just wished he would be able to convince her. “I really like you,” he revealed to her.  

She smiled. “I really like you, too.” 

He hoped she would be receptive to what he had to say next. “I… actually… think that… I’m falling--” 

She interrupted him by taking a big bite of her burger, chewing it then saying, “Oh, my God. This is very good. So good.” 

Oliver nodded. He knew what she was doing. And he’d be lying if he said it didn’t hurt him. 

________

They walked around downtown, just taking in the town lit up at night. As beautiful as it was, Felicity was filled with sadness, because she knew this was the end. She knew exactly what Oliver had been trying to tell her back at Big Belly Burger, but she had avoided it. Because once they actually talked about it, it would be the end. And, she wasn’t ready for that. Now, walking around, she knew. It filled her with dread. 

“Oliver, I think you should take me back to work. I can’t do this.” 

“No, the deal is that we’re going to walk around and enjoy the rest of our date.” 

Felicity stopped walking and stared at him. “Why are you messing everything up?” 

Oliver looked at her, questions in his eyes. “This is what people do. They go on dates. They do stuff together.” 

Felicity shook her head. “No, you  _ know _ this stuff freaks me out. It’s not real. What’s wrong with what we’re doing? It working. We don’t have to fight, we don’t--”

Oliver shrugged cutting in and not letting her finish. “Maybe I want to fight.” 

“Well, I don’t.” 

“What are you going to do? Are you just never going to feel anything? How are you going to do that?” 

She threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.” 

Oliver shook his head. “You’re so messed up.” 

She already knew that, but it still caused her to become defensive. “Yeah, well I don’t need you to take care of me. I can take care of myself. That’s what I do. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole life.” She paused for a couple of seconds and then whispered, “Why don’t you go find some other girl who’s not going to hurt you?” 

“Because I love you.” 

His words pissed her off. So, she smacked him on his bicep. 

“Ow! It’s obvious that I love you. You’re such a wimp.” 

“I am not a wimp!” She smacked him again. 

“Well then be with me!” 

That took all the fight out of her. “I can’t. I just can’t,” she said sadly. 

_________

As they drove back to Palmer Tech, Felicity found herself unable to look at Oliver. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, while she did everything in her power to keep them at bay. Oliver stopped at the curb in front of the building, but didn’t look at her. 

“I can’t keep doing this. I’m not going to see you again.” 

She knew he was sad. She was too. He just sounded so deflated and she felt even worse, because she knew she had done that to him. 

A tear made its way down her cheek and she wiped it away with her hand. “I know. That makes sense. It was good while it lasted.” 

“Bye, Felicity.” 

She opened the door and stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her. She looked after his car as he drove away. She was sad, but she knew a clean break would be better. Before there was more heartbreak. This was what she did. This was how she avoided heartbreak, like her father had caused her. Like Cooper had caused her. 

She walked inside the building, giving the security guard on shift a little wave. Once the elevator doors closed, she allowed herself to fall apart and cry. But, once she reached her floor, she wiped away the tears. She was sure her mascara was ruined at this point, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to get to her desk and bury herself in work. She passed by Ray on the way to her office. 

“Hey, Felicity. I thought you had left already?” 

She answered in a monotone voice. She didn’t have the energy for anything else. “I came back.” 

“Oh, since we’re both here late, do you want me to grab you some coffee from the breakroom?” 

She shook her head. “No.” Then continued to walk into her office. She sat down at her desk and cried some more. 

_________

Oliver walked into his apartment to find Sara and Tommy having dinner. 

“Oh, shit. Sorry, I forgot about this.” 

Tommy shrugged. “It’s okay.” 

“How did tonight go?” Sara asked cheerfully. 

“It didn’t.” 

She looked down. “I’m sorry.” 

Oliver acknowledged it with a short nod. “I’m going to go. Let you guys have your night.” 

He walked up the stairs to his room, opening and closing his bedroom door, and flopped onto the bed. He closed his eyes, feeling rejection and sorrow to run through him. His phone went off, signaling a text. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and saw it was from Slade. 

**_Hey Kid. Just looked at your plans. They look great. It’ll be a good improvement for the club. We’ll talk more tomorrow when you come in._ **

Well, at least one aspect of his life was looking up. However, it only made him think of Felicity more. He had shared his ideas with her, and she had encouraged him. Now, he couldn’t share this with her. 

Oliver responded to Slade’s text. 

**_Thank you. See you tomorrow._ **

He closed his eyes again, and wished that maybe this would help thaw out the heartbreak he now felt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. It's always hard, before it gets better. But, there will be a happy ending! 
> 
> Also, we're almost done! Just two more chapters. 
> 
> Leave me your thoughts!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the last "official" chapter. After this there will be an epilogue. The epilogue will have nothing to do with the movie, just what I wrote to close out the story. I hope to have that one up soon! 
> 
> A big thank you for all of your comments and kudos! They mean a lot to me and always bring a smile to my face. :D

_ 6 Weeks Later  _

Felicity sat at her desk, staring blankly in front of her at her cup of coffee. It was hot enough that she could see the steam rising. There was a knock at her door, and she looked up to find Sara standing in the doorway. 

“Hey, how’s it going?” she asked. 

Felicity shrugged. These days she didn’t so much other than that. 

Sara furrowed her eyebrows. “Okay.” She walked into the office and sat in a chair in front of Felicity’s desk. “I just wanted to let you know that Tommy and I will not be at the rehearsal dinner, but we will be at the wedding.” 

“Oh, how come?” 

Sara looked around the room awkwardly. “Well, Oliver’s software goes live at the club that night, and Tommy really wants to be there to support him. But, if you rather--” 

“No,” Felicity said, shaking her head. “It’s fine. You guys should be there for that.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah, it’s important. I’ll just see you the day of the wedding.” 

__________

Felicity kept her eyes on the road, humming along to the music quietly playing. Quentin, her mom, and her, were driving to Coast City for Iris’ wedding. Quentin was sleeping in the back, slightly snoring. 

“It’s still weird to me that the two of you are actually dating,” Felicity told her mom. 

Her mom giggled. “Oh, honey.” 

“It’s true. I remember Sara and I always wanted that as kids, but eventually we just gave up on the idea, because nothing ever seemed to happen.” 

“We definitely waited. It was just never the right time, but now it is and we’re enjoying ourselves. We’re enjoying being in love.” 

Felicity gave her mom a smile. She was happy for her, she really was. But, hearing her talk about how happy she was with Quentin, made Felicity’s heart break at the fact Oliver was no longer in her life. 

“You know, he’s an excellent lover.” 

“Ew! Mom. I did not need to know that about Captain Lance.” 

Her mom laughed at her response. It was quiet for minute where all they could hear was the music playing softly in the background and Quentin’s snoring. 

“You know, I worry about you sometimes.” 

Felicity glanced at her mom. “Why?” She raised an eyebrow. “Is this because I don’t have a date?” 

“No, no honey. I know that you don’t need to have a date. I know that you’ll be fine on your own. You’ve always been fine on your own.” 

“So?” Felicity questioned. She didn’t really understand where her mom was going with this. 

Her mom took a deep breath before answering. “When your father left us, I couldn’t stand to see you in pain. And, I think you knew that. Even at such a young age, you were able to tell. It’s because you’ve always been so smart.” She chuckled lightly. “I think that you got good at being strong for me. But, it’s okay to not be strong. It’s okay to hurt. So, be hurt. I can take it. The world can take it. Be human. Take risks with your heart. Because let me tell you,” she glanced back at Quentin, “when you do, it’s beautiful.” 

Felicity felt her eyes fill with tears and tried blinking them away. “Okay, mom.” 

She could only think of Oliver and wondered if she should’ve taken a risk with him, instead of playing it safe. But even as she was asking herself that, the truth was staring at her in the face. She just didn’t know how to deal with it. 

__________

“To Oliver!” Tommy cheered, raising his glass. 

Dig, Slade, Shado, McKenna, and Sara, followed his lead and clanked their glasses together. 

Dig pulled Oliver into a hug. “I’m proud you, man.” 

“Thanks,” he answered. “That means a lot.” 

Slade laughed. “Well, you’ve done a fantastic job. Everyone looks like they’re loving the new system. And, the waitresses are getting all the drinks right. It’s wonderful.” Slade clapped Oliver on the shoulder. “You know, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this, but, how do you feel about coming on as a partner at the club?” 

Oliver’s mouth gaped open. “Seriously?” It was the opportunity he had wanted. 

Slade nodded his head. “Yeah.” 

Oliver chuckled. “Wow. That’s wonderful. I’d love to.” 

“Good! I’m glad. You’ve been an excellent addition. I had my doubts about you when you first started, but you’ve never disappointed me. This place would not be what it is today without you.” He grabbed Shado’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “And now, I must take my lovely lady out for a dance.” Slade and Shado stood up and walked out of the VIP area towards the dancefloor. 

“Good job, Oliver.” McKenna, one of the club’s bartenders, smiled and winked at him. 

“Thanks,” he responded. 

Tommy pulled him in close. “Uh, she wants you. Why don’t you try asking her out on a date?” 

Oliver felt himself momentarily freeze. He didn’t know if he was ready to date, but at the same time, what was the point in waiting? He knew nothing was going to happen with Felicity. She had made that pretty clear. “Should I?” 

Tommy shrugged. “Yeah, why not?” 

Oliver thought about it. Maybe pursuing something with McKenna could help him get over the feelings he still had for Felicity. He sat down next to McKenna and began a conversation. After a few minutes, he found himself surprised at how much he enjoyed it. 

__________

Felicity was talking to her mom and Joe, when she caught sight of Iris out in the patio stuffing her face with food. She excused herself and made her way to Iris. 

She sat down next to her. “Iris?” 

Iris stuffed another pastry into her mouth. “The bridesmaids had pot. I’m really hungry.” She grabbed a price of fruit next, shoving it into her mouth. 

Felicity stared at her, not quite sure how to proceed. “Are you okay?” 

Iris nodded. “I’m fine. You know, I just… I just really love Barry. I just love Barry so much.” She pointed at Felicity. “I know you think it’s stupid.” 

Felicity shook her head. “No, I don’t.” 

Iris paused as her eyes widened in shock. “You don’t?” 

“No,” Felicity said softly, and she felt tears welling up. “I can’t stop thinking about him.” 

“Who?” Iris asked. “Oliver?” 

A tear fell and she wiped it with her hand. “Yes. I know that it’s over. And, I’m looking for a guy, but it’s just that there’s no one like him. No one compares. He just has the best heart.” 

Iris licked her fingers and grabbed her phone from the table, shoving it in Felicity’s hand. “Call him.” 

“What? I can’t just call him.” 

Iris spoke in a low voice. “Shhh. Don’t. Don’t argue with me.” 

“He doesn't want me to call him.” 

Iris pointed at herself. “I’m the bride. You have to do what I say.” 

“Iris,” Felicity warned. 

“I’m the bride. You have to listen to me.” 

Felicity sighed. “I’m the one who messed it up.” 

“It’s my day!” Iris shrieked.

Felicity snapped her mouth shut. “Fine,” she conceded. She took Iris’ phone from her hand and dialed Oliver’s phone number. It felt like an eternity before he finally answered. 

_ “Hello?”  _

“Hi, it’s Felicity. Smoak. From camp.” 

_ “Yes. What is it?” _ he asked, voice strained. 

“So, one of my closest friends is getting married tomorrow in Central City, and I don’t know. I um, heard your software went up tonight. Congratulations.” 

_ “Thank you.”  _

He sounded distant. Different from the Oliver she knew. He’d never sounded like this with her before. 

She took a deep breath and let it out before speaking again. “I know this is random, but I just… I miss you. I miss you  _ so _ much.” 

After a few seconds of silence, he responded.  _ “Okay. I don’t know what to say. You’re calling me because you’re at a wedding and everyone’s happy. And, you’re not.” _

A tear fell down Felicity’s cheek at his words. “I don’t, I don’t know what I was thinking. I just missed your voice. I know that we broke up--” 

_ “Felicity, we didn’t break up,”  _ Oliver interrupted her. _ “We never started.” _

His words were like a slap to the face. Because he was right. They hadn’t dated, because she had said no. She couldn’t bring herself to give him-- _ them _ \--a chance. This was all her fault. 

_ “Listen, I have to go. Tell Iris congratulations. Bye.” _

He disconnected the call. 

Felicity brought down the phone and stared at it. “Aw, fuck.” She had seriously screwed up. She met Iris’ eyes. “I have to…” 

“Go. Now.” Iris nodded her head. 

Felicity handed Iris her phone back, and stood up. She was going to get Oliver back. 

_________

Oliver looked at his phone for a few more seconds. He hadn’t thought he’d ever hear from Felicity again. As much as he missed her and wanted to be with her, if she couldn’t agree to more, he wouldn’t be risking his heart again. The last few weeks had been hard enough. 

He walked back towards the VIP area and sat down next to McKenna. 

“Everything okay?” she asked. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he responded without thinking. “Everything is fine.” 

He smiled at her and went back to their conversation. 

__________

Felicity ran out of the rehearsal dinner venue towards her car, with Iris running behind her. 

“Wait, wait!” Iris shouted. 

Felicity opened her car door and turned around. “What?” 

“If you don’t make it back in time for my wedding, I’ll kill you. Bye! Drive safe!” Iris waved at her. 

Felicity’s jaw dropped momentarily before snapping shut. She gave Iris a quick, weary wave and got into her car. She took off, driving way over the speeding limit, but she didn't care. She needed to get to Oliver before it was too late. She hoped it wasn’t too late. 

She arrived at Oliver’s place sooner than she had expected. She ran towards the elevator, pushing the button for his floor multiple times. When she got to his floor she straightened her dress out and combed through her hair with her fingers, then stepped out onto the hall. She knocked on his door, hoping he had come home early, like he usually did when he would visit the club at nighttime. However, there was no response. Felicity could feel the hope she had slowly diminish with each passing second. 

The elevator dinged, announcing the arrival of tenants. When the door opened, Felicity heard Oliver’s voice, accompanied by the laughter of a woman. Quick on her feet, Felicity ran around the hallway corner, hiding. She felt her stomach drop and all the hope she had to salvaging whatever she’d had with Oliver, evaporated. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, as she watched Oliver and the woman laughing. His smile was beautiful. She’d missed it. They both entered his place and their voices faded away. 

Felicity managed to keep her tears at bay. She wouldn’t cry here. As soon as she believed she was clear, she ran across the hall back to the elevator. She was thankful when the doors opened almost immediately. Walking towards her car, she called Iris. She felt like shit. She didn’t think that it was possible to feel worse than she had for the last month, but she was wrong. Very, very wrong. Because seeing someone else with Oliver, was like being gutted. 

After a few rings, Iris answered.  _ “Hey, how did it go? Did you find him?” _ she asked with too much enthusiasm. 

“Yeah,” she sobbed. “He was with a girl. With his girlfriend, probably. I was hiding around the corner when they went inside his place.” 

_ “Oh, crap.”  _

Felicity breathed in and out, trying to calm herself down. Reliving the last ten minutes with Iris was hard. 

_ “Are you still there?” _

“Yeah.” 

_ “Okay, get in your car and drive away. And, how much cash do you have?”  _

“Like ten bucks.” 

_ “Okay, the box of fifty donut holes is $5.79. You’re going to need two boxes.” _

“I lost him,” she croaked. 

_ “I’m so sorry,” _ Iris said quietly. 

“Yeah.” 

She hung up the phone, and only then did she allow the tears she had been holding back to fall. 

_________

McKenna was enthusiastically telling Oliver a story at the club from a few nights back, where a few of the patrons had thrown up at the bar, after having hit on the bartender. 

Oliver’s face twisted in disgust. “That’s awful.” Oliver went over to his bar, and poured some wine for the two of them. He sat down next to McKenna on the couch and handed her a glass. 

They clinked their glasses in cheers, followed by sips. Or in Oliver’s case, a large gulp.

Oliver looked at McKenna and thought maybe he  _ should _ try starting something with her. So he leaned in to kiss her. McKenna leaned in as well, causing the two of them to bump their heads. 

“Ow,” they both said at the same time. 

Oliver lay a hand on the spot McKenna had hit him. 

“Wait,” McKenna said, “I can totally do better than that. That was bad on my part.” 

Oliver nodded. “Sure. Yeah, okay.” 

Oliver cocked his head to the left and leaned in again. McKenna met him halfway, and went all in, into the kiss. McKenna grabbed his head, pulling him closer to herself. She moved over him, straddling him. McKenna forced her tongue into his mouth, fighting for dominance with his. His arms went around to her back. 

McKenna appeared to really be into it, but Oliver just felt awkward. It didn’t feel natural at all, but he continued to try. He pulled away from her mouth and began kissing down her neck. 

“Oh, my God. This is happening. This is really happening,” she said. 

Thrown off, he stopped kissing her neck and looked up at her. “Maybe we don’t need to talk about everything,” he suggested. 

“Okay.” She began kissing him again, her mouth overpowering his once again. “But um, are you sure you want to do this? Because we could just talk about it instead.” 

Oliver stared at her, not really sure  _ why _ she kept talking. “Let’s  _ not _ talk about it.” 

She nodded. “All right.” She paused. “So, do you want to take my shirt off? Or should I?” 

Oliver sighed. He did not think this would be so difficult. “I can take it off,” he offered. 

McKenna scrunched her face. “I’ll just take it off.” She stood up and began unbuttoning her blouse. Awkwardly. 

Oliver looked at her, hoping there would be a spark or something. Anything. But there wasn’t. And now he was starting to regret listening to Tommy about pursuing anything with McKenna. 

Oliver’s phone rang and Oliver almost jumped at the distraction. But, he was going to ignore it. He was going to give his complete attention to McKenna. 

McKenna pointed towards his phone. “Do you want to answer that?” 

“No.” 

“Are you sure? ‘Cause you can grab that.” 

He shook his head. “No, it’s fine.” 

“Is it ‘Do Not Call Her?’” 

“No.” The phone kept ringing and he kept contemplating. Whatever moment they were having, just kept dwindling down more and more. “I’ll just… I’ll just shut it off.” Oliver stood from the couch and went to the dinner table where his phone was. He looked at the caller ID, thrown off by it. “Uh, sorry,” he told McKenna and then answered the phone. “Isabel?” 

He tried catching snippets of what she was telling him, but she was talking too fast. And, she sounded freaked out. Which could only mean something had happened to his dad. He only managed to understand Robert and Starling General, but that was enough for him. He looked up to see McKenna had managed to take her shirt off and was now in her bra, standing and looking around. She looked unsure of what to do.

“I’m coming,” he told Isabel before hanging up. 

“You’re what?” McKenna asked. 

Oliver put his phone in his pocket. “Uh, it’s my dad. There’s been an emergency and he’s in the hospital.” 

He heard McKenna gasp. “Oh! Do you want me to go with you?” 

“No, no. I’m okay. Can I call you later?” he asked. Although he wasn’t sure if he actually would. This had only shown him there was definitely no chemistry between the two of them. And, if there was no chemistry, what was the point to keep trying? 

“Yeah, I’ll get an Uber and find my way home. Don’t worry about it,” she waved him off, “Go.” 

He threw a jacket on and rushed out the door. 

__________

Felicity belted the lyrics to “ _ Bleeding _ ,” from the period mix Oliver had made her. As she sang, she cried and stuffed her face with donut holes. She could feel the powder around her mouth, but she didn’t care. She had already lost count of how many she had eaten--which she also didn’t care about. Not at all. She was already driving back to Coast City, when her phone went off with a notification. Since she had her phone connected to her car’s bluetooth system, she pushed the command button to read the text. 

The voice spoke, letting her know the text message was from Curtis. 

**_Call me immediately, exclamation mark._ **

That freaked out. Hopefully it wasn’t anything to do with Paul. She instructed her car to call Curtis and waited impatiently for him to answer. 

_ “Felicity!”  _ he yelled. He seemed worried.  

“What? What happened?” 

_ “Where are you?” _

“Driving. What’s going on?” 

_ “Paul had a late shift at the hospital today and he saw them bringing in Robert Queen to the ER.”  _

“What?!” 

_ “You might want to get a hold of Oliver, and see if his dad is okay. Paul was leaving, so he wasn’t able to get a whole lot of information for me.” _

She needed to make sure that Oliver was fine. Also, his dad. She should check on him too. All in a friendly, platonic way. Because that’s what friends did. At the end of her mind rant, a thought crossed her mind. 

“Wait, how would Paul know to tell you about Robert Queen?” 

Curtis cleared his throat.  _ “Well you see--I told him all about you and Oliver. We were both rooting for you.”  _ He chuckled. _ “Actually, we had a pool going on about how long it would take for your friends with benefits situation to end, and the two of you to declare your love for each other. Obviously no one won that bet.”  _

His last sentence stung her, but then, she caught onto what he had said. “Wait, how many people were in on that bet?” 

_ “Um, you know what? I have to go. Call Oliver!”  _ He ended the call with no further explanation. 

Felicity took the nearest exit and turned around, quickly heading towards Starling General. 

___________ 

Oliver got out of the car and ran towards the hospital entrance. He saw Isabel pacing by the curb and went up to her. Oliver had called Thea on the drive over, to let her know what had happened. She had responded immediately that she would meet him there. 

“Isabel! Where is he? What happened?” 

Isabel stopped pacing. “Okay, don’t freak out. Your dad overdosed on cough syrup.” 

Oliver raised his eyebrows. “What? How did he overdose on cough syrup?” 

“He was coming down with a cold, and we had a flight for Russia tomorrow. We wanted him to get better so the visit to QC’s Moscow office wouldn’t be a bust. So, we thought it would be fine for him to take more than the recommended amount of cough syrup.” 

Oliver couldn’t believe he was hearing this. “ _ Seriously? _ You’re supposed to be taking care of him. Not encouraging him to kill himself for your benefit!” 

Isabel took a deep breath. “I can’t do this. I can’t do this anymore. I thought it would be different. I don’t want kids. I don’t. And, he’s so… old.” 

Oliver stared at her incredulously. “Yeah, and he’s getting older. That’s just something you’re going to have to deal with.” He shook his head, running a hand through his hair and back of his neck. “Let’s just go in to see him.” He began walking towards the ER entrance again. 

Isabel shook her head. “No, no, no. I can’t go in there. I have to go. I have to go. I can’t see him. I’m done.” 

“Isabel,” he warned. 

“No, I’m done. I’m done. I thought that it would be nice to date the CEO of a billion dollar company, that I would get something in return, but there’s been nothing. I’ve been nothing more than a trophy wife to him. I’m done.” She walked away and got into a waiting Uber. 

Oliver could only shake his head that the turn of events. Although, he wasn’t that surprised. It  _ was _ Isabel. Oliver walked through the hospital hallways, asking for his father’s room at the nurse’s station. 

He walked into his dad’s room, finding him looking at the ceiling. “Hey, dad. How are you feeling?” 

Robert nodded absentmindedly. “I’m good. I think. I had too much cough syrup, I guess.” 

“Yeah, I heard.” 

“Where is…” he asked pointing towards the door. 

Oliver knew he was talking about Isabel. “She went home.” 

“Right,” he said. After a pause, “You know who I wish was here right now?” 

“Who?” Oliver asked. He sat down in a chair next to the bed, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Your mom.” 

Oliver was quiet for a second before he said, “You left her. Why?” 

“When you’re married and hit a rough patch, stay away from women who throw themselves at you.” 

Oliver gave a humorless chuckle. “You’re an asshole.” 

Robert raised an eyebrow. “But you’re not. You have a good heart Oliver. Try to keep it. Where’s that girl Felicity? You guys still together?” 

He really didn’t feel like talking about Felicity tonight. “We were never together.” 

Robert nodded. “Oh, that’s right. Friends with… sex friends? I’m old. I don’t get it. But um, you liked her, son.” 

Oliver scoffed. “She drives me crazy.” 

“Hey, I’ve had a failed marriage, so you can take this with a grain of salt, but we don’t get to pick who we fall in love with. It never happens like it should.” 

Oliver gave a short nod, just as there was a knock at the door. 

Thea stood in the doorway. “Dad.” She ran up to the hospital bed, and carefully gave Robert a hug. “How are you?” 

“I’m better. Thank you for coming sweetheart.” 

Oliver offered Thea his chair. He lay a hand on his dad’s shoulder. “Get some sleep dad.” He offered him a reassuring smile. “I’ll call you in the morning.” 

He waved to Thea and their dad, then stepped out of the room. His dad had given him something to think about and Oliver knew who it was that he needed to see now. 

Once he was outside, he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket, dialing a number he knew all too well. 

_ “Oliver!” _ Felicity’s voice came through the phone. 

“Hey, you can’t call me and tell me that you miss me. I don’t want to have that conversation on the phone. If you really missed me, you need to grow up, get in your car, and come see me.” He walked further away from the hospital entrance. 

From his peripheral, Oliver saw a car pull up to the curb, but he didn’t pay much attention on it. 

_ “I’m here,” _ she said. 

That got his attention. Because he didn’t only hear her on the phone, he heard her as clearly as if she was there. He turned to the left and saw Felicity stepping out of her car. 

He stared at her in surprise. He didn’t understand what she was doing here. “How did--? How did you know?” 

She walked closer to him. “Curtis told me. His boyfriend works here. He saw your dad come in. So, I came here.” 

When they were a few feet away from each other, they stood still, staring at each other. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She had come.  _ For him. _

“How is your dad?” she asked. 

“He’s good.” 

“Good.” She closed her mouth, opened it and then closed it again. “I know I can’t just call you,” she blurted. 

He shook his head. “No, you can’t.” 

“I hurt you. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I wasted so much time pretending I didn’t care. I guess I just didn’t want to feel like this. I didn’t want to feel hurt when you eventually left me. But, this hurts just as much.” Tears filled her eyes. “I love you. I’m totally and completely in love with you. And, I don’t care if you think it’s too late. I’m telling you anyway.” 

He didn’t know what to say. She was telling him everything he had wanted to hear. He continued to stare at her, not being able to form any words.

“Will you please say something?” She took a step towards him. 

“Wait,” he said, putting a hand up to halt her movements. “You should know that if you come any closer, I’m not letting you go.” 

The smile she gave him took his breath away, and for the first time in a month and a half, he had hope. Hope that they would be okay. Hope that they could move past this and become something. 

She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. Kissing her was like coming home. He had missed her. So much. Now they were finally together. 

When they pulled apart, there were smiles on both of their faces. 

“I don’t want to let you go,” she whispered. “Ever.” 

It caused him to grin at her. “Good, because I’m not going to let you go.” 

She smiled widely at him. He was euphoric. He was happy beyond belief. 

He cupped her face and pulled her in for another kiss. This kiss, however, was much less reserved. He gave everything he had into the kiss. Making up for all the days they had gone without kisses. He would make sure they never missed out again. His hands made their way down her body, resting at her waist. While he was kissing her, he took note of the powdery taste of donut on her lips. 

He pulled apart, leaving her with her eyes closed and lips following his. 

“Um, Felicity?”

“Yeah?” she asked, opening one eye. 

He licked the powder that had transferred over to his lip. “Exactly how many donuts did you have?”

Her eyes widened and she began wiping at her mouth. “That is not a question you want the answer to.” 

He chuckled at her response, giving her a few pecks. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck once more and looked up at him. “Hey, wanna go with me to this stupid thing?” 

He smirked at her. “Iris’ wedding thing?” 

Felicity nodded. 

“How long do we have until you have to be there?” 

She shrugged. “A few hours. What do you want to do?” 

“Something crazy.” 

He had an idea of something he had wanted to do with her for a long time, and felt like now was the right time. He grabbed her hand, causing her to yelp, and began pulling her towards her car. He opened the passenger door for her to get in, and was glad when she didn’t protest. He ran around the car and got into the driver side, pulling away from the curb, and driving towards a new beginning for them. As they drove off, he grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers together. 

__________

An array of breakfast food lay on the table in front of them. Felicity dug into her pancakes greedily. 

“Wow, now I know why you never want to eat breakfast with me. You eat like a baby dinosaur.” 

Felicity froze momentarily. She chewed her food slowly. “Is that going to be a problem?” 

Oliver shook his head. “No. I think we’re going to have to come up with some new rules. I’d like to start calling you honey and babe.”  

Felicity stared at him, mouth slightly hanging open. “I don’t know about babe…” 

“No?” 

“We can talk about it later.” 

“Snuggling?” he asked, with a raised eyebrow. 

She laughed. “Oh, yeah. I’m going to hold your hand.” She took a sip of her coffee. 

Oliver grinned. “Wow, this is all moving so fast.” 

Felicity scrunched her face. “This is going to get weird.” She checked the time on her phone and freaked out when she saw they didn’t have a lot of time to get back. “Oh, we should head out.” 

They got up, with Oliver leaving a few bills on the table, and rushed outside towards Felicity’s car. Oliver once again drove, and Felicity liked it much more than she would have thought. They drove alongside the coast, but Felicity found herself unable to look away from Oliver. She felt incredibly lucky that he had decided to give her second chance. She knew she wouldn’t take it for granted. This time, she’d do things differently. She grabbed his right hand in her own, feeling like that was exactly where they belonged. He turned to her and gave her a smile. 

They arrived at the wedding with a few minutes to spare. When they reached the ballroom where the wedding would take place, Felicity looked up at Oliver and found him staring at her, too. And, she knew, this was the start of something new. Of something beautiful. 

He took her hand in his. They were starting over. Together.


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at Felicity and Oliver down the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to get this out. The last few weeks have been pretty hectic for me. 
> 
> Here's the last chapter for this story. It's completely made up, ideas of what I picture this AU Felicity and Oliver's lives would look like throughout the years. It's all fluff. Hope you enjoy!

_One Year Later_

Oliver and Felicity had just moved into their new home. They were only renting, because actually buying a home was a commitment they weren’t ready for. They had spent all day with their friends and family, unpacking and decorating the place. This was all new for Felicity. She’d never had a relationship last this long--or make it this far. She realized it had just taken the _right_ _person_ to come into her life. Who would’ve known it would be the kid she met at summer camp when she was twelve?

She still had her moments of panic, but Oliver would be right there to calm her. Like earlier in the day, where she found it difficult to _actually_ leave the apartment she had shared with Sara, Caitlin, and Curtis. Because moving in with Oliver was pushing them further into the unknown. And, Felicity still didn’t quite know how to deal with that. She’d never done well with the unknown. Their love was the one thing she was certain of. She’d never loved anyone as much as she loved Oliver, and she knew he felt the exact same way. He showed her in moments when he would push a loose strand of hair behind her ear, or the dopey smile he’d give her after they’d made love with love shining through his eyes, or when he would take care for her when he knew she wasn’t. In the year since they had officially started dating, he had been chipping away at all the fears she’d held. She wanted to give him her all, because he had in so many ways.

Felicity looked around the their new living room. There was still a lot to do, but for now, they were going to celebrate with their friends. One of the perks of getting an _actual_ home, was that they now had a backyard, where they could host friends and family. Oliver and Tommy had finished setting up a new table outside, as well as hung up string lights. It gave their backyard a magical and homey feel.

She felt familiar arms wrap around her from behind.

“Hi, baby,” Oliver said, laying a kiss on her neck. “How’s it going?”

Felicity turned her head to look at him. “Good, it’s pretty much all done. I don’t think we could have done it this quickly without help.”

Oliver only nodded in return.

“Is dinner almost ready?”

“Yeah. Sara and Tommy have finished setting the table outside. Your mom and Quentin are finishing up a few more things in the kitchen, but I’m honestly terrified to go in there. Who knows what I could walk into.”

Felicity laughed.

“You laugh now, but I don’t want a repeat of that day when we arrived early to brunch.”

She twisted in his embrace and wrapped her hands around his neck, playing with the hair there. “I love you.” She pulled him down to her, kissing him.  

When they pulled apart, Oliver looked at her with that same expression he always seemed to have around her. Like she was his sun. “I love you, too.”

She returned his smile, even though she knew it would never be as tender has his was. She grabbed his hand and led him towards the backyard. “Come on, let’s go hang out in our new backyard with our friends.”

Once everything had been set, they had started their meal and had spent the entire time laughing.

Felicity looked around the dinner table to see her mom, Quentin, Sara, Tommy, Dig, Lyla, Iris, Barry, and Joe. Oliver was sitting on her left and there, surrounded by her friends and family, Felicity had never felt more full of love. Oliver grabbed his glass and clinked it with a knife, while standing up. She looked up at him, wondering what he was doing.  

“First off,” Oliver began, “I want to thank you all for helping us today. We definitely couldn’t have done with without you.”

Oliver turned to look at Felicity. He looked nervous, even though he had a grin on his face. She was sure no one else could tell, but she had learned all of his tells.

“But,” he continued, “I want to especially give a thanks to you, Felicity. I want to thank you for giving us a chance, for giving me a chance. For comforting the fourteen year old boy, whose parents were splitting up. For showing me what it truly means to love someone unconditionally.”

His words caused Felicity’s throat to tighten and she felt tears begin to fill her eyes. And then, in a move that completely shocked Felicity, Oliver dropped down on one knee.

Her right hand flew towards her mouth to cover the gasp that came out. “Oh, my God. What are you doing?” But she knew. Of course she knew.

His grin only grew, pulling out a small black velvet box from his pocket. “Felicity Smoak, you are the love my life. The light that helps me find my way in the darkness. Will you please do me the honor of being my wife?” He opened the box, showing the most gorgeous ring she had seen. It was a pear shaped diamond surrounded by bead-set diamonds, on a diamond band.

Felicity felt like she couldn’t breathe. She had never pictured herself in this situation--had never consumed the thought--but she knew there was only one word she could say. “Yes,” she whispered.  

The entire table erupted in cheer, but to Felicity, there was only Oliver.

“Yeah?” he asked, a large smile on his face.

“Yeah,” she answered, nodding her head emphatically. She wrapped her arms around Oliver and felt completely overjoyed. She kissed him with all she had, not caring that they were still in front of people. She had known that today would be a big step in their relationship, but she couldn't have realized exactly how important it would end up being. “I love you,” she giggled.

“I love you, too.”

They pulled apart and Oliver slipped on the ring on the the third finger on her left hand, where it would stay for the rest of her life.

__________

_Five Years Later_

Their two year old daughter cheerfully ran towards the backyard, followed by her grandmother.

“Okay, I’ll call the office and have them begin drawing up the paperwork. Congratulations.” Their real estate agent gave them an over the top smile, that appeared more fake than genuine.

However, they knew the agent so they knew it actually _was_ genuine. But, sometimes she just didn’t seem like it. The agent walked off towards one of the empty rooms.

Oliver turned to look at her. “So, we’re now proud homeowners. How does it feel?”

Felicity walked around the room that would be a family room. She could already picture the life they would create here. She lay one hand over her growing stomach. “It feels great,” she beamed.

They were about to celebrate their third wedding anniversary. Felicity hadn’t thought she’d love being married as much as she did. But, she knew it had to do more with the life partner than anything else. Every day she fell more in love with the life she had.

With their expanding family, Oliver and her had thought that it was finally time to purchase their own home. Somewhere to lay down roots. A place where their children would grow up.  Somewhere Oliver and her would keep track of their heights on the wall, as cliche as that sounded. She could see it all, and it was all because she had allowed herself to open up to the man who wanted all of her and wouldn’t settle for less.

Felicity walked up to Oliver and cupped his cheek. “I love you. More than you could ever know. If you hadn’t pursued this between us, I wouldn’t have this wonderful life that I now have. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” She kissed him, hoping to convey exactly how much she appreciated him in the kiss.

When they parted, he gave her the smile that was just for her. “I’ve always known you were the one for me. It just took you a little convincing.”

“Mommy!” Their daughter came bounding in, grass stains on her cream dress and flowers in her tiny hands. She ran up to Felicity and held out the flowers. These for you!”

She was a perfect combination of both her parents. She was always exploring, always getting herself into trouble. Just like her daddy. And, she was always asking questions. Always wanting to know how things worked. Having some conversations with adults around her that left them stumped at how they were coming from a tiny little thing. Just like her mom.

Felicity sighed at the thought of washing out the stains, but still felt her heart melt at her daughter’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you, baby.” She took the flowers from her hands. “These are very pretty.”

“For you and baby bwother.” The little girl lay a kiss on her belly.

When they had first told her she was going to be a big sister, she hadn’t quite understood. When Felicity’s belly began to grow, she had started becoming excited, and would now talk to Felicity’s belly on a regular basis. She would also always give Felicity knick knacks she had picked up as gifts to her baby brother.

Almost as if sensing that its sister had been talking about him, the baby began to kick.

She took hold of the little girl’s hand and lay it where the kicks were prominent. “I think baby brother wants to say, ‘Thank you.’”

Upon feeling the kicks, her daughter let out a giggle. “Oh, baby bwother,” she said, the “R” not quite pronounced, “you so silly.”

She pulled her hand away and ran to her dad, who then proceeded to pick her up, throwing her in the air before securing her on his hip. The little girl giggled without regard.

When Oliver had found out they were having a boy, he had been over the moon. Not that he wouldn’t have been excited if they’d been having another girl. Oliver was already a wonderful father. He showed their daughter so much love, it melted her heart every time.

Felicity looked around the room again and she felt nothing but pure joy radiate through her bones.

__________

_Fifteen Years Later_

Oliver and Felicity stood on their driveway, looking at the bus as it drove away, carrying their little girl to the same summer camp they had met at. She wasn’t so little anymore at twelve years old, but she would always be their little girl.

“Does she really have to go?” he asked her, glancing at her.

Felicity looked up into his eyes from where she was leaning her head on his shoulder and smirked. “Yes, Oliver. She has to. She’s been wanting this for the last month. Don’t ruin it for her.”

“But, what are we going to do here without her?”

Felicity let out a little laugh. As much as she was their little girl, she was definitely a daddy’s girl. Since the day she had been born, Oliver had been captivated by her, unlike anything else she had seen before. She had him wrapped around her tiny fingers. She still did. Sometimes they would gang up on Felicity, and as much as she would say she disliked it, she actually didn’t mind at all. She loved the bond that they had, because it was something she had never had with her own father.

“You’ll be fine. Just think about all the fun stuff she’s going to do. She’ll love it. And hey! Maybe some kid will ask her if he can finger her.” She raised her eyebrows in amusement.

However, the glare that came across Oliver’s face was anything but. “That’s not funny.”

“Yeah it is,” she joked. She jabbed him with her fingers teasingly.

He shook his head. “No, Felicity. Don’t--don’t say that.”

The incredulous look on his face, realizing that his little girl was growing up and would be around young men--like he was at that age--only made her laugh harder. He took a step towards her, still shaking his head at her, reaching his hands out for her.

She took a step back, and then another when Oliver only kept coming closer. Eventually taking off towards their lawn, giggling and fully away Oliver was running after her. When he caught up with her, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and twirled around a couple of times, before gently falling onto the grass, their laughter mixing together.

When they finally stopped, both of them lay side by side, staring at the clouds.

“She's going to be okay Oliver. She has to grow up sometime.” She looked over at him. “But she's always going to be your little girl.”

He met her eyes with a smile. “Yeah, she is. She's also really smart. We've raised her well.”

Her smile matched his. “Yeah, we have. We’re a good team Queen.” She raised her hand up for him to high five it and he did not disappoint.

“Yeah, we are Queen.” He brought the same hand to his lips for a kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She leaned up to kiss him, running her hand through his hair.

This was where she wanted to be for the rest of her life. Next to the man who was her partner in all aspects.

 

_The End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. Thank you to all who took the time to read, comment, and give kudos. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can tell you enough how much it's brought a smile to my face. 
> 
> And now, I will put all of my focus back onto [Unexpected.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4087639/chapters/9206836) Although, I'm traveling during the holidays, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to post something before the new year. But, definitely once January comes around. It's my baby and I promise I have not abandoned it. Thank you for being patient (hopefully) during the long wait. And, thank you for all the support. It means a lot.
> 
> Happy holidays to those of you who celebrate!

**Author's Note:**

> I will be posting once a week. Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Find me on tumblr: coffee-with-sunshine.tumblr.com


End file.
